


Who Are You?

by MissNMikaelson



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Some Humor, Soul Bond, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-10-15 08:52:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 62,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17525618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissNMikaelson/pseuds/MissNMikaelson
Summary: She had always wanted to go through the proper motions of an introduction, but she had never thought he would be the one asking her that question.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own TVD or TO
> 
> So I had this idea while taking a shower and it wouldn't go away, so I had to sit down and write it out.
> 
> Just to let everyone know I haven't seen anything pass early season 3 of the Originals and hardly any of TVD after Elena left. So I have only the vaguest knowledge of events. I know Elijah was compelled to forget who he was to keep him from running back to Klaus' side when he enivitably needed him, but I'm taking liberties with the amnesia.
> 
> Elena in this story never took the cure, but instead eventually broke things off with Damon and left Mystic Falls behind.
> 
> I like the idea of the Boarding School but I don't like the idea of Steroline so I think I'll keep the school and Caroline as the headmistress, but she and Stefan opened the institution as friends. Basically she had the idea and he had the property that was really being wasted on just him after Damon left town.
> 
> I also don't write Kennet, and personally don't like Kolvina. I never actually saw much of Bonenzo but I think I'll have them together in this story.
> 
> I'm thinking the wedding still went down between Jo and Alaric the same way, but Kai didn't curse Elena because she and Damon had broken up.

Manhattan, the heart of 'The Big Apple': one and a half million people were crammed on the tiny island. Someone could catch a glimpse of the most gorgeous person on the face of the planet, and never see them again.

It should have been a city where she could disappear. Nobody should have ever remembered her face, but it seemed she was doomed to a life of being recognized.

Screw blind dates; her most recent had ended when the guy had called her Katherine. Even dancing in the club she was recognized.

All she had ever wanted was to be forgotten by the world, to leave behind the shadows of Katherine and Tatia and whoever else had come before. She wasn't them, she was her own person, but it was hard to figure out who she was with her past breathing down her neck.

For once she would have loved to introduce herself to another person.

She toyed with the edge of her purse and leaned against the rough bricks of a storefront. Tipping her head back, examining the roiling clouds overhead, she debated grabbing a cab. The coming storm wouldn't make her ill, by any means, but it would be messy and uncomfortable; she still had ten blocks between her and her apartment.

There were countless cabs on the street, and hailing one now would be easier than waiting for the rain to start.

She stepped sidestepped her way to the curb ignoring the cat-call coming from somewhere to her left. There was so much noise in the crowd and outside of it, and she heard it all: babies crying, men and women yelling, squirrels chattering, cars honking, and dogs barking.

She was anxious to leave it behind for a while, but the moment a yellow taxi came to a stop in front of her she froze. The air flew from her lungs in a rush.

There was a man across the street facing away from her.

There was a man across the street wearing jeans, an off-white Henley, and a black leather jacket, and facing away from her. In spite of the casual clothes she knew it was him, she would know his stance anywhere.

_It would be rude not to say hello._

It had been a very long time since she'd had a stimulating conversation with anyone that challenged her. Now that she had seen him, now that her eyes had located him in a crowd of thousands, she wanted to see him; she wanted to hear his voice say her name in that way only he could: rolling off his tongue sending shivers down her spine.

* * *

He was beginning to think that venturing into the city might have been a mistake. The sound was deafening, and the smells were overpowering. There were the pleasant ones drifting from the open doors of coffee shops, and then the ones that made even his stomach turn: diesel, brine, the foul combination of human waste.

Underneath all of it he could hear the pounding hearts of the humans closest to him. They beat frantically on the busy city streets, fueled by anger, lust and fear; the rich smell of blood caused his throat to burn and his gums to ache.

He swallowed down the primal urge he suddenly felt and banished the images in his mind of luring the nearest passerby into the darkness of the alley and draining him or her of blood. He had fed not too long ago and wanted to prolong the time between taking the life of another human being; the bloodlust wasn't urgent yet.

It could wait.

He let the people pass him by and stared off down the street looking for anything that might be familiar, but he recognized nothing.

His mind was as blank staring at that street as it had been when he woke on the bus.

Somewhere behind him he heard a woman's voice calling out. It was distinctive in tone and full of a friendly determination that grew louder and annoyed the closer it got to him. He suspected she was going to be very angry at her friend for not answering her.

He stiffened when a hand landed on his arm and looked down to see a blue stone encased in silver circling a slim finger. The woman's voice was teasing, but there was some definite annoyance underneath.

"I know for a fact you heard me," she tilted her head, "even in a crowd this big you heard me. Now, I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but I can't seem to recall doing something to upset you."

He dragged his eyes up from the hand that was sending tiny jolts of energy up his arm to her face.

Her hair hung to her shoulders in a glossy brown curtain; loose curls twisted the ends and brushed her collarbone. Her pink lips were parted slightly as she looked at him. An air of familiarity shone from her dark brown eyes, and for a moment when she smiled up at him softly he felt the clouds part and the sun on his skin, but it didn't burn as he knew it would without his ring.

He didn't know anything about himself, but he knew he couldn't take off the ring; the ring that was so similar to hers.

She had longed for anonymity for half of her life, ever since meeting Stefan and learning the truth of what she was. She had wanted to be unknown, to meet someone for the first time and ask those first questions, to hear them directed at her, but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined hearing those words from him.

"I'm sorry," he frowned, "but who are you?"

Her brows shot up. The last person in the world who wouldn't know her on sight was standing in front of her; he had known her face longer than she had.

"Is this a joke?" She pursed her lips. Was she so easily forgotten?

"Who are you?" He shook his head, very aware of her hand still on his arm.

He saw something that looked like hurt flash in her dark eyes and for a moment that wonderful light dimmed. He caught her wrist before she could pull away and repeated the question.

"Elena… you know me," she swallowed. She thought he might be the only person who did.

He didn't, but he wanted to.

"Alright, Elena," he tasted the name on his tongue; it was sweet. "Who am I?"

Her mouth popped open. Tilting her head she took a small step back and peered into his eyes; there was a quiet desperation there. She could see it then; he was begging her for an answer without actually begging.

"You're Elijah Mikaelson," she murmured, knowing full well he could hear her.

A single drop of rain fell from the sky and rolled down his cheek. His mind flashed to the cufflinks in his pocket; one of the only clues to his past.

She could see in his eyes that the name meant nothing to him.

Twisting the wrist he held she took his hand and started down the street as the sky cracked open and sheets of rain bore down on them. This wasn't a conversation for the street.

* * *

She used a fluffy towel to sop up the worst of the water dripping from her hair and offered him one. She shrugged out of her brown jacket and hung it over a chair.

"Coffee, tea, blood?" Elena opened the fridge. Her gums ached, and her throat burned for sustenance. She had discovered over the past decade that her ideal feeding schedule was three blood bags a day and she was due for the third.

She frowned into the fridge when she heard his heart stutter, and turned around with a couple of blood bags in her hand. Personally she preferred hers warm so she poured it into a ceramic mug and popped it in the microwave; the fifteen seconds passed quickly and before she knew it she was pulling the warm blood from the appliance.

She caught the slight shift beneath his left eye and passed him the first mug because for his features to shine through he must have been famished; maybe even close to mal-nourished. He did look a little paler than normal.

"Here," she placed the steaming blood on the counter, "I'll fix another." She busied her hands with the task and considered going to change, but she didn't want to be in dry clothes while he was stuck in wet.

"What happened to you?" She moved to her small table and sat across from him.

"There's not much to tell," he ran his forefinger around the rim of the mug.

"You have no idea who you are," she sipped her blood, "you didn't know who I was, and you're wandering around half-starved."

His eyes narrowed and widened when she tapped the area below her right eye; it was then he felt the veins pulsating and the sharp sting of his fangs.

"Something happened to you," she leaned over the table, "and I'll help, but it'll be much easier if I know what I'm dealing with; if you can give me some indication."

She traced his features with her eyes in fascination, always having wondered what his vampire visage looked like.

Elijah tapped the side of the mug before lifting it and sipping the rich liquid. The blood paled in comparison to that taken directly from a human being, but it was warm and flowed through his veins to satisfy the burning hunger raging through him, and nobody had to die for it.

For six long days and nights he had thought himself alone in the world, but then he had found a kindred spirit. She was like him, but so different, and if there was one then there were bound to be more.

"I woke up a few days ago on a bus," he began, "with no memory of who I was, or where I came from."

"You don't remember anything?" Elena crossed her arms on the table. Her foot brushed his under the table when she moved to cross her ankles.

"Aside from the briefest flash of a man there is nothing," he frowned.

His eyes narrowed at the sudden exasperation in her gaze.

"Was this man blonde by any chance?"

"No," Elijah blinked, "he had dark skin, and no hair… late 20s."

Elena tilted her head. None of the description rang any bells, and she had honestly been expecting Klaus to have been involved in some way; like he had gotten more creative than the daggers.

"Anything else?" She lifted her mug to her lips again.

"Yes," he reached into his pocket.

Elena picked up the cufflinks he placed on the table. They were gold and emblazoned with an 'E'; very much on par with the Elijah she knew. The second thing he placed on the table was a folded slip of paper.

Flipping it open she felt her eyes narrow. She knew the hand that had penned the three simple words, though their meaning was lost to her.

"Don't look back to what?" She glanced up at him through her lashes.

"I wish I knew," he chuckled. "Who was the blonde man you thought I remembered?"

Elena chewed her bottom lip and leaned back. She hooked one arm over the back of her chair and tapped the table with her other hand.

"Klaus," she inhaled slowly, "he's your brother."

"I have a brother?" He gave her a sceptical look. Wasn't that something he should have remembered?

"You have four," she smiled sadly, "but only two are still alive. You've also got two sisters."

"Large family," he murmured. "How do you fit in to this?"

"In a way I wish I didn't," she snorted and was surprised when blood didn't gush from her nose. She sighed before leaning back over the table; her eyes flickered over his windswept hair when he mirrored her motion. "I can only tell you what I know, and I'm afraid that's not going to do much for your lost memories. I don't want to think about something with the power to make you forget who you are."

"Why not?" His eyes flickered over her face mere inches from his.

"Because you're an Original," she bit her bottom lip. "Vampires can compel humans to forget things, and Originals can compel vampires, but nothing should be able to compel an Original."

"Compel?" He inhaled the floral smell of her shampoo.

"You really don't remember a thing," she breathed.

He held in his shiver when her cool breath fanned over his chin. He felt the strangest sensation in her presence, like a gravitational pull drawing him into her orbit.

"Compulsion is a little trick held by vampires," her eyes flashed with amusement, "it lets you impose your will on someone else provided that person is free of vervain."

"Is something funny?"

"Kind of," she laughed softly, "I'm explaining the nuances of vampirism to one of the oldest vampires in the world. It's a little… funny's not the right word. It's just…" Elena's tongue swiped along her lower lip. "… It's not a situation I ever would have seen myself in."

"Exactly how old am I, Elena?"

"Exactly?" She exhaled. "I don't know how old you are,  _exactly_ , I just know you've been alive for a thousand years. You told me once… the story of how your family became vampires."

"Perhaps you could enlighten me."

Elena nodded and tilted her head while thinking of where to start. His story was so convoluted that there was no good spot to begin, so she started with the day they met and moved on to present leaving out nothing. He was silent until the end.

"I left you in a cave with a woman who I knew wanted you dead?"

There was a hard edge to his voice, and something akin to horror in his eyes. It brought back memories of his letter.

"You left me with your sister," she nodded. She could see the apology on the tip of his tongue and held up her hand. "I forgave you for that a long time ago."

"How could you ever?"

"Because you did it for your family," she shivered. "That's something I can understand, and in case you've forgotten I did betray you first."

"It sounds like you had every reason to," he inhaled sharply. "You had every reason to want Klaus dead, and war often comes with collateral damage."

"I was pissed with Klaus, but I didn't want to hurt anyone else; I didn't really want to hurt him." She straightened her spine. "You were defending your family and I couldn't have stayed angry with you for that, not when I would have done the same thing."

"Were we friends Elena?"

She was mildly taken aback by his question. The answer was on the tip of her tongue, but she hesitated.

Were they friends? She had trusted him with her life on several occasions and gone to him for help when the situation permitted it. She had tried to protect him and find a way to keep him alive after his mother's spell because he had tried to help her. She couldn't bear to think of him dying; the horrible rumor of his death, clearly unfounded, had brought her to a standstill. She had always cared about him, respected him, and looked out for him, but were they friends?

Did friends cast longing glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking? Did friends feel the energy field drawing them closer? Did friends look at each other the way he was looking at her now?

She had thought his attraction to her was because of the face she had worn and the women who had come before, but if that were the case then why?

There had always been something unspoken between them, but clearly drawn lines had never been crossed.

Were they friends?

It was the closest noun that described their complicated relationship, so she nodded, but the brief moment of hesitation was not unnoticed.

They were friends, but they weren't friends. They had always been something more.

"You're not a deceitful person, are you Elena?"

Her mind flashed back to their conversation in the woods.

"You're not going to break a hole in my kitchen floor, are you?" She cocked an eyebrow. "I like this apartment, and I'm fairly certain I won't get my damage deposit back for that."

"I'm sorry?" He frowned at the amusement in her eyes.

"You said something like that once," she explained, "seconds before trapping me in the tunnels." She flattened her palms on the table. "I've only ever told you one lie in my life, Elijah."

"There's something more," he murmured.

Elena's heart wasn't sure whether to stop or pound out of her chest.

Was he going to mention the unspoken thing; the tension that had existed between them since day one?

"Will you tell me?"

She blinked and tilted her head.

"About my family." His mouth twisted on the word like he couldn't fathom the concept. "Not the things you say I told you, but your impressions of them."

"Okay," she nodded, "I don't know them all, but I'll tell you about the ones I do."

She considered for a moment before deciding to start with the worst of the worst.

"There's Klaus; he's the Original hybrid. He and I aren't really friends because I never forgave him for murdering my aunt and using me to break his curse, but we've worked together in the past and from what I understand he's mellowed a lot. You always sided with him even when he was wrong because he's your brother. You were focused on redeeming him; even when the rest of your family wanted to give up on him."

She had always imagined Elijah for that. The bonds of family were what made him who he was.

"Then there's Rebekah. We had a sort of Thelma and Louise thing when I turned off my humanity. I think we would have been good friends in another life if I didn't have the face I do. She can be ruthless and vindictive, but also really sweet when she wants to be. The three of you swore a vow after your mother died: Always and forever, you would stick together. As far as I know you've never broken it."

"Finn… he was your older brother. When he died it was because my friends were intent on killing all of you. I never saw any of you grieve for him, but I'm sure you did. He was under the effects of a dagger for nine hundred years. I didn't know him well, but the interactions I had made me dislike him, but I dislike anyone who would turn on their family. I heard he came back from the other side and made peace with all of you."

"I don't really know Freya, and Henrik passed long before my time, but I knew Kol about a decade ago."

She took a deep breath. Kol was one of her biggest regrets; it hadn't been until years later that she had realized part of her decision had been influenced by the sire bond, but she had never gotten over it and had breathed a sigh of relief when the new reached her from the Crescent city.

"We should have listened to Kol. He likes to play the role of a trickster and a madman but he's quite sane, and he knows his magic. I should have listened to him, but I was blinded by my circumstance and helped my little brother k… kill him."

She pushed a hand through her hair and blinked at her coffee cup.

"He's alive. I don't know the full circumstances of his resurrection. All I know is that he met a girl, a witch, and she found a way to save him. He'd probably know how to fix your memory."

He tilted his head when she bit her lip and looked away.

"You're hesitant to call him."

"We didn't leave things well," she admitted. "The last time I saw him he was technically still dead and royally pissed off. He was going to kill me, but my dead brother made a reappearance and saved me, pushing Kol back behind the veil as it closed."

He couldn't explain the rage that flooded his veins when he thought of anyone harming her. He thought it somewhat strange since she had just admitted to killing two of his brothers, but there it was; maybe it was because his family was an abstract concept and she was tangible, but he got the feeling he would have forgiven this woman for anything.

"I never apologized to you, or him," she breathed suddenly lost in her memory. "I was going to let him kill me."

"Why would you ever do that?"

"Because I deserved it," she shrugged one shoulder, "I killed him and countless others went with him. I killed a hunter. I was a murderer, and for one moment, one brief moment, I didn't want to live that. I still have trouble living with that," her voice dropped to a murmur almost too quiet to hear.

She cleared her throat and leaned back in her chair. The sun had gone down while they were talking, and a glance at the clock told her it was nearing one in the morning. Based on what he had told her she had a hunch he had arrived in the city that day.

"It's late," she sighed.

"I should go." He startled as if just noticing the hour and moved to stand up.

"You can stay if you want," Elena picked up the mugs and moved into the kitchen to rinse them off. She caught his eyes when she glanced up. "I've got a spare room, and I can call Bonnie in the morning."

"Bonnie?" He tilted his head before the name clicked. "Right, your witch friend."

"She might be able to help you remember," Elena loaded the mugs in the dishwasher. "She could be here tomorrow."

He watched her for a moment, considering the offer. She was warm and bright, and possibly she could even teach him some control.

"I wouldn't want to impose."

She smiled because even without his memory he was still polite.

"You're not," she reassured him.

* * *

She sent the message before sliding between the sheets of her bed and closing her eyes, but sleep eluded her for the longest time. It was hard to sleep when she could hear his heart beating steadily across the hall.

* * *

The room smelled of her; everything inside had been touched by her floral perfume.

How was it possible that he could feel her warmth from so far away?

* * *

The sun was rising in the sky when he heard the unmistakable sound of the shower. It roused him from his light slumber and for several moments he just sat on the bed and examined the view from the window. There wasn't much to see beyond the flower box on the window sill across the alley.

Eventually he stood and moved towards the door; in the back of his mind he registered the water had stopped, but he thought nothing of it until he opened the door and collided with a towel clad woman.

Instinctively his hands moved to steady her hips and pulled her tightly to him to keep her from stumbling.

Elena's breath caught in her throat when she tipped her head back and met his eyes. She saw there the same look she had once seen the moment before he had kissed her in Willoughby, but this time he wasn't hiding anything and she was vividly aware of the thin towel wrapped around her upper body barely covering her thighs.

For a moment neither said anything, and both were struck by the thought of how right the impromptu embrace was.

Even as vampires they needed to breathe. Elena was the first to draw in a ragged breath and with it the smell that was him and only him; it was enough to turn her knees to water.

Elijah breathed next, quick and shallow; her lavender shampoo bombarded his senses and made him dizzy. His hands tightened on her hips pulling her impossibly close in an attempt to ground himself further and stop his head from spinning.

He could feel her heart pumping in time with his, and wondered what else they could do in sync.

His left hand splayed over her lower back, gripping the soft towel; his right hand lifted to cup her cheek tenderly.

Elena's flesh tingled under his touch. It was déjà vu in the strangest sense; the same but different because this time when he touched her she had humanity. This time she could think about the way he was making her heart thunder in her chest, and take note of how his was racing just as fast.

She made no move to stop him and voiced no protest when his mouth landed on hers. There was less hesitation before she met his motions. Her fingers curled in the collar of his shirt. Opening her mouth marginally she allowed his tongue to dart inside countered his exploration by nibbling softly on his bottom lip, sucking the skin into her mouth and soothing the bite with her tongue.

And that unspoken thing… it passed back and forth between them with each brush of lips.

Her mouth was swollen and her breaths were harsh when he pulled back left a gentle peck on her lips. She couldn't open her eyes for a long moment after he rested his forehead against hers.

It was Elijah who finally broke the silence, his warm breath fanning over her cheek.

"We've done that before?"

"Once," she breathed. Elena opened her eyes and looked up through her thick lashes. Her chest expanded with her attempt at a deep breath. "You thought I was someone else."

He tipped her chin up and stared down into her pupil blown eyes.

"I can't imagine believing you were anyone but you," his fingers curled in the soft material at the small of her back.

"Because you don't remember," she reminded him.

"You're right," he nodded, "I don't remember, but I have this feeling I would know you anywhere. And if I kissed you, Elena, I'm certain it was because I wanted to kiss you."

"I can't speak for the past of course," he ran his thumb along her jaw, "but I can speak for now. I wanted to kiss you a moment ago, and I'd like to do it again."

She shivered when he backed her into her bedroom door. Between him and the wood she was boxed in and perfectly comfortable with her cage.

"Shall we go three, lovely Elena?"

He was hovering a hairsbreadth from her lips, and her hands were inching upwards to his neck when there was a harsh knock on the door.

Elena wanted to scream at the person to go away. She wanted to stay right where she was and revel in the knowledge that for once she had been chosen because of her by someone who had no knowledge of Katherine or even Tatia; even if they were locked away somewhere in his mind, for one brief moment it was only her.

But she couldn't ignore the second knock when it was accompanied by the low voice of Bonnie.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO
> 
> I also don't know much about the hollow yet, only the things on the wikia page for the Originals so some liberties might be taken with that. Then again I haven't seen season 5 so for all I know I'm right on track with how the hollow actually affects them. I don't think something that powerful would have no affect whatsoever on an Original even when divided in four pieces so I believe that it was affecting them all; not as badly as it would when made whole but it is still there and in the case of vampires it is fueling the bloodlust... not a good thing for someone who can't remember how to control it.

She sighed upon finding the snoop in her office, having already known who it would be, and sure enough she was right. The child sat cross legged on the antique couch staring at the block letters in her hands, the scrawled printing of a man with the weight of the world on his mind; a man who had made a lofty donation to a cause simply for his belief in the woman behind it. He was many things, but to Hope he was the father she had barely gotten to know; the man who had left her, who had ignored her desperate cries.

Leaning in the door she crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"I thought I smelt a little wolf," Caroline smiled softly. Her breath caught when Hope's head snapped up and she saw the look in her eyes; the child's blue eyes were flooded with an intense vulnerability that Caroline had witnessed only a handful of times.

Her features favoured her mother, but in that one moment she was the image of Klaus.

Caroline moved to kneel in front of the couch because no child should ever have that look in their eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Hope's rosebud mouth puckered in a pout. The expression tugged at the vampire's heartstrings, and again she was reminded of the child's father.

"I did something," Hope whispered.

Caroline nodded encouragingly.

"I used a spell," Hope twisted the sleeves of her sweater, "I wanted to see him, so I astral projected…"

Caroline's stomach twisted in a knot; she was almost reluctant to ask what Hope had seen.

"I saw…" Hope's heart drummed in her chest; Caroline could smell fear beneath her skin, "… it was a scary monster who looked like… like my… my dad."

Caroline bit her lip. Knowing the way Klaus and the rest of the Original family had tried to shelter Hope it could have been any number of things that had frightened the sweet little girl; she crossed her fingers and prayed it hadn't been too bad.

She took a deep breath and set her hands on either side of Hope's knees.

"I want you to look at me Hope," she met the child's wide eyes, "I'm going to show you something, okay."

Her nod was full of trepidation and Caroline saw her clench her small hands into fists.

Taking a second deep breath she concentrated on the fear rising from Hope's blood. She was not proud of her choice target, but it had been so long since she had allowed herself to appear as she was that she needed a focal point.

With her eyes closed Caroline felt her fangs descend, that was the easy part. Next she felt the veins beneath her eyes begin to pulsate and knew they had turned black.

Hope gasped and backed into the stiff material of the couch when she saw Caroline's red rimmed eyes.

Caroline exhaled slowly and felt her features return to normal; Hope visibly relaxed when the familiar face of her headmistress was before her again.

"Was it something like that?" She saw in the child's eyes that there had been more.

Caroline sighed and took a seat beside Hope. She didn't know the full extent of what had happened, but she knew it had been bad, and she highly doubted Hayley had burdened her child with the knowledge before depositing Hope at the Boarding School.

Hope blinked back a wave of tears and didn't fight Caroline when she pulled her into her arms.

"It's okay to cry, sweetie," she ran her hand through the straight auburn hair.

"Is my dad a monster, Caroline?" She clung to the vampire's silk blouse.

"Do you think he's one?" Caroline took the letter and set it aside. She didn't even realize she was doing it until she saw a myriad of images flying through the girl's mind, each one conflicting with the last memory she had from the astral plain.

She didn't know if her words would truly impact the psyche of the nine year-old or not but she knew she couldn't leave Hope like that.

"Your dad is not a monster Hope," she tipped the child's chin up and met her red-rimmed eyes.

"He left," she sniffled.

"He left to keep you safe." Caroline gently wiped away a tear. "He loves you very much, and I've no doubt he'd be here to tell you that himself if he could."

He had done terrible things in the past, and was likely doing terrible things in the present. She could already imagine the bender he was likely on after knowing what his child had seen, but he loved the little girl more than anything in the world, and anyone capable of love was capable of being saved.

* * *

Elena held a white-knuckled grip on the handle of her coffee cup that was actually filled with coffee at the moment, and waited for Bonnie to say something, anything that would indicate she had processed the brief explanation they had given.

"Bon?" She finally broke the silence.

Bonnie's eyes darted between the vampires on either side of the round table. Elena's message hadn't said anything specific and when she had first stepped into the New York apartment she had assumed a vastly different situation. The brunette answering the door in hastily thrown on clothes with a slightly dazed expression and the casually dressed Original behind her had solidified the image.

"Nothing?" Her eyes found Elijah again. It was jarring seeing him in jeans, like she had been dropped into a foreign country with no idea of the language or customs. "You don't remember anything?"

"All I know is what Elena has told me," his eyes darted to the woman in question, lingering for a moment longer than necessary.

Bonnie wondered if Elena was aware of the affection in his gaze, or the way her body was angled slightly towards him. They hadn't seen each other in nearly a decade, but in less than twenty-four hours they had slipped into their old patterns; the unspoken thing hung between them.

Had she told him about it? Had he sensed it on his own?

Elijah had never given the impression of being a person to trust another easily, but Bonnie saw trust in his eyes.

"Sure she's not lying?" Bonnie flashed her friend a cheeky grin.

"You're hilarious," Elena deadpanned.

"It was just a joke," Bonnie held up her hands defensively. "I know you'd never lie. You could hardly keep a surprise party a secret; seriously, I love you 'Lena, but you've got a bad poker face."

"Can you help?" Elena tipped her mug up to finish the last drags of the coffee; the caffeine left behind a pleasant buzz beneath her skin.

"It would be easier if I knew what happened," Bonnie mused. "I brought candles, because I had a feeling you needed some sort of spell, so I can try to bring up whatever memories you do have."

When Elijah nodded Bonnie began placing the candles evenly around the room. A clear bowl of water was placed on the table beside him. Bonnie dipped her fingers into the liquid and placed them on either side of Elijah's temples.

A murmured incantation lit the candles; Bonnie saw surprise flicker in his gaze. She closed her eyes and concentrated. His willingness made slipping into his mind easier and within seconds she saw things playing out in reverse.

She saw the kiss that had transpired moments before she arrived, being found by Elena on the street, days of wandering and a half dozen dead, a bus stop, a set of cufflinks, a man whose skin was perhaps a shade darker than hers, and a door the colour of blood. Try as she might she couldn't make the wood budge.

She didn't realize how much magic she was expelling until a bead of blood dripped from her nose.

Elena pulled her friend back breaking the contact and the spell before she could cause herself any lasting harm. She wanted to help Elijah but she didn't want anyone getting hurt in the process if she could prevent it.

She pressed a tissue to Bonnie's nose to stem the flow of blood. She was surprised when Elijah didn't inquire after Bonnie's health, but when she turned around she saw why.

The veins beneath his eyes writhed. His jaw was clenched tightly, and his hands held a white-knuckled grip on the edge of her kitchen table. She could see the struggle in his limbs.

"Bonnie," Elena kept her voice calm as she picked up her friend's purse and placed it in her hand, "walk to the door, and do not run."

Bonnie looked up from the tissue in her hand, completely confused by the shift because she hadn't even told them what she had found yet, but then she saw Elijah's eyes: completely black, the whites flooded with blood.

At full power she could have taken an Original but the spell had drained more of her energy than she had thought it would.

"I'll text you," she clutched her bag and turned towards the door.

Bonnie moved a little too fast, she realized it when she heard a whoosh of air and the unmistakable sound of a body being pushed back into a chair.

He saw nothing but red when the blood had started to flow and the only thing that kept him in the chair was the reminder that this woman was her friend. He didn't want to attack her friend, he didn't want her friend to be the seventh victim that fell to his unquenchable thirst, but then she moved and his muscles reacted on instinct to send him hurtling towards the fear soaked blood.

He didn't make it a foot before his body was slammed back into his momentarily vacated chair. The haze in his mind began to clear when he looked up into her dark eyes and felt her hands on his shoulders grounding him in place, but the darkness twisted in the back of his mind; a faceless entity he couldn't identify that shrank away from the light of the woman before him.

"Breathe!"

Her commanding voice penetrated the fog in his mind; it turned gentle when she knew she had his attention.

"Just breathe," her hands moved to cup his cheeks.

Maybe it was the knowledge that he had no true memory of her and their complicated history, or maybe it was the sudden vulnerability in his gaze.

Whatever the reason was did not matter because he was Elijah and she was Elena, and there was that unspoken thing between them that seemed to be shifting and pushing them closer and closer to the lines they had never dared cross.

In a motion she never would have dreamed of making before, she allowed her fingers to ghost over the pulsating veins until his features returned to normal.

She knew something was off with him. He had always been a pillar of self-control, and even without his memories his body still should have reacted as it always had; it shouldn't have taken him the long moment it did to return his features to human.

* * *

It was nearly an hour later when Elena found her phone on her bedside table which had nearly blown up with text messages from Bonnie.

**BON –**  everything's locked up tight behind a door.

**BON –** wouldn't budge

**BON –** something's wrong with him

**BON –** it's dark

**BON –** you should leave it alone

**BON –** call me

**BON –** ELENA!

**BON –** ELENA!

**BON –** ELENA!

**BON –** ELENA!

**BON –** ELENA!

**BON –** ELENA!

**BON –** ELENA!

Elena pressed her phone to her ear; it had barely reached the second ring before the call was picked up.

_"Are you alright?"_

"I'm fine, Bon," Elena raked a hand through her hair.

_"You should…"_

"I'm not going to leave him," she cut off her friend.

_"There is something dark in him 'Lena. It's infecting him from the inside out. It got worse when I tried to help; like it was feeding on me, draining my energy."_

"Does that mean you won't help?" Elena perched on the edge of her bed. She searched her mind for another witch that might lend her services.

_"It means I won't help again until I've got a clear plan."_

She could hear Bonnie's sigh over the line. Her friend wanted to stay far away from the oldest living vampire in the world, but she would help because Elena had asked.

_"I'll do some research and get back to you; see if I can't figure out what's happening. Elena?"_

"Yeah."

_"Be careful. I don't think he has control over his bloodlust right now."_

* * *

Bonnie secured the bandage around her wrist and examined the bowl of her blood on the floor of her bedroom. Her magic had returned by the time she reached Mystic Falls; there was enough for her to create the spell in front of her.

She dipped the totem into the bowl before replacing it in the center of the symbols drawn on her floor in black sand. Closing her eyes she began to chant.

"Locus sua mortenduis la chambre, locus sua mortenduis la chambre."

When she opened her eyes she found herself in the old witch house. The candles flickered to life in every corner of the room just as they had the last time she had turned the cottage into a safe house.

It was a moment before she felt the air shift and heard the unmistakable sound of splintering wood beneath a heavy body.

Crossing her arms she faced off with the half-naked man who hopped to his feet. Her eyes momentarily flickered to his sculpted chest before meeting his burning gaze.

"I would have called, but it seems I don't have your number."

"So you pulled me into a Chambre de Chasse?"

"I would have astral projected, but I just found a new spell." She cocked an eyebrow and looked him over again; this time questioningly. "Was I interrupting something?"

Bonnie tilted her head and stepped closer to him. She had very little to fear from him in the witch house; it was a mindscape that she controlled.

"Let's just say a warning would have been appreciated," his dark eyes flickered over her. "Last time I saw you, you were busy trapping me behind the veil."

"You wanted to unleash hell on earth," she scoffed.

"Yes, well," he smirked, "the idea was rather appealing after being trapped on the Other Side once; it was a walk in the park compared to the Ancestral plain."

Bonnie's mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she snapped her jaw shut and shook her head. Her curiosity was one thing that didn't need to be satisfied in that moment, especially since she could sense another witch attempting to break into the chamber.

"I had a reason for this," she gestured to the flickering candles casting shadows along the peeling paint, "I had a run in with Elijah today, and he didn't know who I was, or who he was..."

Bonnie saw something flicker in his eyes.

"He needs help, and I didn't know how else to contact one of you."

He shook his head; the motion was sharp and decisive.

"I can't help you, little witch, and I can't help him."

"You won't help your own brother?" Her eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Can't, Bonnie, there is a difference between won't and can't," he sighed. From the corner of his eye he saw one of the walls starting to melt away and knew there wasn't much time. "None of  _us_ can go anywhere near each other."

"What about his memory?" She took a shallow breath and crossed the last step to tip her head back. "I tried unlocking it, opening that door where everything was hidden, but there was something in him; it was like it was… was feeding on me, draining me."

He took her by surprise when he grasped her shoulders and peered down into her eyes.

"You can't help him," he resisted the tug from reality, "he was compelled," he pressed his hand to her mouth to keep her from interrupting, "yes it is possible; I only learned of it after the fact. The compulsion of a vampire and even that of an Original can be undone with magic, but not this one; there is no spell for it, and if you try again to enter his mind the dark magic inside of him will kill you… again."

"How do you know about the magic?" She latched on to the last bit of information. "What is it?"

"Something very old and very powerful…"

Bonnie frowned when his voice became distorted and she was only able to make out a few of the words.

"…no way… Hollow… we… divide… four… run… opposite… if… made whole… destroy… quest… darkness… soul… twist..."

* * *

He sat up with a gasp and grunted. His head had collided with something solid.

"Ow…"

"Sorry, love," he caught her before she could tumble off the bed.

"I would have thought after a thousand years you'd have a little more grace than that." She pushed her hair back from her face and fixed him with an annoyed glare.

"I assure you, darling, I am extremely graceful." He blinked the last of the fog from his eyes and smirked. "I've half a mind to show you just how graceful I can be."

She couldn't stop her sudden squeal when he flipped them over and pinned her to the mattress. Using her hands to put a margin of space between them she cocked an eyebrow.

"Where were you?"

"A little witch needed a word," he took her wrists in one of his hands and pinned them over her head. "Nothing to worry about,"  _I hope._

* * *

"I know you're not laughing at me," he glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Of course not," Elena chewed her bottom lip. She reached out and trailed her fingers over the smooth stone curve of the walking bridge. Urns full of brilliant flowers were placed on top of each pillar sending the sweet smell of hydrangeas to her sensitive nose; beneath their feat the gentle sound of trickling water rose to her ears.

She paused alongside one of the urns and ran her fingertips over the glossy enamel.

"It's just…" she inhaled and turned to meet his eyes. "It's a little surreal," she shrugged, "but yes I can try. I can try, I don't know if I'll be a good teacher, but I'll try."

Elena shifted when he stepped closer and placed either hand on the wide rail of the bridge. Planting her palms on the stone she lifted her body and perched on the bridge so she was an inch taller than him.

"Are you sure?" He searched her warm gaze. "You wouldn't rather run far in the opposite direction: far from the dark?"

She placed her hand over her heart in mock indignation.

"Elijah Mikaelson," she poked his chest with her forefinger, "were you eavesdropping?"

"Forgive me, Elena," he smirked, "it's difficult to ignore your voice."

"That means you definitely heard me say I will not be leaving," she leveled him with a look. "You need my help."

"Not afraid of the dark?" He cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Your friend was right… there is something in me. I heard it whispering when she was in my head; something dark."

"I'm not afraid of the dark, 'Lijah," she drummed her fingers along the bridge and brushed his hand; tiny jolts raced up her arm. "Jeremy was the one terrified of the dark, but I didn't need a night light."

His gaze flickered from her twinkling eyes to her bright smile, even when it was tight lipped she radiated warmth and light; it was a light he wanted to bask in for the rest of his days.

"You didn't need one," he leaned closer as she did, "because you are one; you chase away the demons hiding in the dark."

Within her chest she felt her heart skitter. Had it always done that in his proximity? She wasn't sure, but she did know that the mere sight of him had always been enough to steal the air from her lungs; had to remind herself to breathe on many occasions when she was still human. Even that day in the gazebo the air had stilled in her body.

"I'm beginning to think you have no sense of self-preservation," he covered her left hand with his right, "and that you are far to kind for your own good."

"Should I start practicing cruelty," she searched his eyes, "and spend my life running from the things that go bump in the night?"

"Never," he gave a slight shake of his head, "it would be a shame if the world lost a soul as compassionate as yours."

Her mouth popped open to release a soft laugh. He almost missed the words that floated from between her parted lips.

"'Your compassion is a gift, Elena'." Her voice lacked the malice it had held a decade before, but there was still a hint of sadness for the words that had burned along with her childhood home and her brother's first body. Jeremy had been returned to her, but the house, her journal, and his letter never would.

"I read that in a letter once." She glanced up through her lashes to see his confused look.

"The writer sounds positively inspired," he smiled.

There was no hint of cockiness in the angle of his mouth or the shade of his eyes; he truly believed the words he had written her in apology.

Elena's tongue darted out to whet her lips. She tilted her head slightly and examined the sincerity of his gaze.

"Are you sure you don't remember anything?"

"Positive," he nodded. "In fact I think I might be forgetting a few things."

Elena felt her heart flutter again when he flashed a wolfish smirk that was so out of character with the man she had known. He had always been so serious, weighed down by his familial ties and the burden of the eldest brother; it couldn't have been easy tempering his younger siblings and remaining the level-headed one.

She liked the carefree version of him, the vampire burdened only by his conscious and the human lives he had taken. He seemed lighter after spending the day in her company. There was still worry in him but he wasn't tainted by a thousand years of life, or haunted by the ghosts of women he had loved and lost in the pursuit of protecting his family.

She knew when he looked at her that he was only seeing her.

"And what are you forgetting?" Her eyes twinkled; his playful attitude was contagious.

He lifted his free hand to her face slowly, trailing his strong fingers up her arm and over her neck in a near touch that set her skin on fire.

"I cannot seem to recall the taste of your lips," his thumb swiped over her bottom lip lightly.

"I would hate for you to forget anything else," she grinned.

Maybe it was selfish of her to long for his touch, but she had always liked him. She had always craved him, his company, and since the return of her emotions his kiss. His mouth had molded to hers that day in a way nobody had done before or managed to do since.

She liked him. She could admit that in her mind.

She didn't know how he would react to this when his memory returned, because she knew it was a matter of when not if, but as long as he wanted her, as long as he was going to acknowledge that which had always been unspoken, she was going to let him.

Before they could close the few inches of space between them Elena's attention was diverted by a crinkling sound by her ear and the sudden smell of putrid vegetation.

"What the hell?" She turned to the hydrangeas now drained of life before finding Elijah's eyes, but his own attention had been stolen by a figure on the other side of the bridge. "Elijah?"

"That's him."

She didn't need to ask who the 'him' was; there was only one 'him' who held any type of significance to Elijah, so when he squeezed her hand and gave her a pleading look that begged her to stay put and out of harm's way she nodded.

She hopped down onto the stones of the bridge when he flashed off in search of the one man who could give him answers. She had every intention of waiting right there on the bridge, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would come back, when there was a rush of wind.

When her body stilled she was standing in the shadows just outside the light from the lamppost, her back pressed to the rough bark of a maple tree.

Elena felt her eyes grow wide when she focused on her assailant; she knew the moment their eyes locked that she had no chance of fighting her way out.

"Rebekah."

* * *

_"The Hollow's too powerful. It's gonna tempt him to try to get back with his siblings. If we don't do this the Hollow's gonna come back."_

Vincent's words echoed in the back of his mind.

Had it really only been a week since he had sent him from New Orleans? Had it really only been a week since the request had been made?

He slowed his pace when he was far enough away from the bridge and turned to face the Original who had followed him. He had thought he would have to physically remove Elijah from the scene but it appeared the quest for answers was at the forefront of his mind.

"Who are you?"

He ignored the question and straightened his spine; even knowing that he was stronger than the vampire before him made standing tall difficult. In the accusatory stare of Elijah he felt like a child again who had gotten in trouble for some random prank at the plantation.

"You need to leave the city, Elijah."

"Why?" His eyes narrowed at the use of his given name.

_Why?_ He internally scoffed.  _Because staying is certain death to millions… because you should get as far from your siblings as possible; preferably another continent._

"Because I am telling you to," he took what he hoped was a menacing step forward. "Leave and don't look back. I'll give you twenty-four hours and if you're still here I'll kill you and your friend."

He heard the derisive snort.

"I'm given to understand nothing can kill an Original."

He just kept his face neutral at the title. Whoever the woman was on the bridge clearly had known him before and filled in a few blanks; chances were if she knew him then she probably knew what had happened to him.

"There are a few things," he tilted his head, "a white oak stake, a powerful witch, and my bite." He heard the chime of an incoming text message. "Why don't you ask her? If she knew you before I'm certain she could tell you how you died once already."

Elijah's eyes grew round when the man flashed away.

* * *

"My brother's disease has always been blind devotion to my Klaus. A thousand years and whenever he has needed Elijah, he has been there, and no matter what he did… He was at the complete mercy of that devotion."

Elena's eyes were round as the Original finished explaining what had happened; if it was all true then Rebekah had taken a great risk getting so close to him.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Rebekah took a step back towards the path and looked towards the bridge.

"I considered killing you, I've wanted to for years, but I…" she sighed. "There is something between the two of you Elena. I've always known it, but it seems to have grown stronger now. He's stopped fighting it. I think… I think you might be good for him."

She could see the strength it had taken the Original to utter those words.

"He was in love with you," Rebekah crossed her arms over her chest. It was true; it didn't matter who her noble brother had been with because there had always been feelings for the latest doppelganger underneath. He would eagerly take any news of her that reached him. "He might not have even realized it, but anyone who was paying attention could see that he cared for you, and somehow, in spite of willingly giving up his memories, I think he still is."

In the back of her mind Rebekah wondered how he would have reacted to Hayley had she been the first to find him.

"If anyone can convince him to stop digging into his past it's you," she sighed, "and I know you'll do it because if he remembers, if he keeps doing it she could get hurt."

"You can't just tell him all of this yourself?" Elena cocked an eyebrow.

"Do you see the flowers?" Rebekah pointed to the urns on the bridge. "That was when I was still a quarter mile away. The closer we come to each other the stronger the pull of the dark magic and the greater the chance it will rejoin."

"You ever heard of a phone?"

"From me all of this will mean nothing, Elena, don't you get that?" Rebekah sighed. "I'm not his sister anymore. I'm not a trusted ally. I am a complete stranger to him; a woman he cares nothing for. But you…" she waved to Elena, "… you're…"  _the love of his life,_ "… a friend. You are someone he trusts."

Elena pushed her hands back through her hair and held the back of her neck before meeting the sorrow filled blue eyes.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Convince him to trust his own decisions," Rebekah stepped back into the shadows, "to make a life somewhere else."

Elena nodded, it pained her to think him spending an eternity apart from his family but with a child's life on the line she would comply. She didn't think it would be Elijah's devotion to his family that brought him back in the end though, his blind loyalty to Klaus was gone, 'always and forever' was gone.

Rebekah breathed a sigh of relief and moved to leave. She paused when Elena called out to her from the trail.

"How did you know where to find him?"

Elena tilted her head when she saw the small smile playing at the blonde's lips.

"Kol received a rather alarming message from a little witch," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "who mentioned running into Elijah in New York. Except this witch doesn't live anywhere near the city, but…"

"Her vampire friend does," Elena sighed.

"Yeah," Rebekah nodded. She was getting ready to leave again, the whispers were starting in the back of her mind signifying the eminent arrival of her brother, but she paused to look back to the brunette who had moved to stand in the beam of from the lamp; the light illuminated her olive skin.

"Elena?"

She turned her attention to the blonde and nodded once to show she was listening.

"Take care of my brother."

Elena was still staring into the night when Elijah found her a few moments later. She sensed his frown when he smelt a competing perfume on her skin.

"Are you alright?" He reached instinctively for her elbow. Something about the lingering smell around her set him on edge, which he found strange as it was an otherwise pleasant floral mixture.

"I'm fine," she nodded, "I just had a little chat with an old acquaintance." She lifted her eyes to his searching gaze and filled in the rest of the information: "your sister. There are some things we need to talk about."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think?
> 
> Remember when I said this wouldn't be overly long? Buckle up kids it might turn into something bigger.
> 
> For anyone curious about what the full explanation was:
> 
> "There is no way to stop the Hollow. The only thing we could do was divide it between the four of us and run to opposite ends of the earth. If the Hollow is ever made whole again she will destroy everything in her quest for more power. She will take whatever darkness resides in a person's soul and twist it to her bidding."


	3. Chapter 3

“You’re not evil Elijah,” she braced her arms on the stone bridge, “you might have had a twisted sense of morality at times, but you were never evil.”

Their voices were all but drowned out by the loud chatter coming from the Camden market. In the distance they watched a train clatter over the tracks.

“How can you be so sure?” He stared out over the Regent’s Canal.

“I’d like to consider myself a reasonably good judge of character,” her lips quirked up in a small smirk.

“Elena,” he sighed.

She draped her arm over his where it rested on the bridge, intertwining their fingers.

His skin tingled against her palm.

“I couldn’t stop,” his eyes took on a haunted look.

“You didn’t kill him, Elijah,” she squeezed his hand.

“I would have,” he closed his eyes, utterly disgusted by his actions. The man had been all but dead in his arms, the heart slowing to a faint flutter, but he couldn’t tear his fangs from his neck. “There was this little voice, some small part of me that urged me to do it; to take his life. I would have if you weren’t there.”

“According to Rebekah that’s the Hollow. Do you hear it now?” Elena turned to look at him.

“No,” he shook his head, turning to meet her eyes, “it’s silent when I’m with you. Why is that?”

Elena drew her bottom lip between her teeth, feeling her pulse quicken under his searching gaze.

“I don’t know,” she breathed, “but it sounds like there is a really simple solution.”

“Stay very close to you,” he smirked, “at least until you come to your senses and run for the hills.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she swore. “I promise, and when I make a promise I keep it.” Tipping her head back she frowned. “Do you want me to go?”

“Never,” he turned fully to face her.

“Good,” she spun on her heel, “because I have every intention of finding a way to get that thing out of you, and then your siblings.”

“Why do you care so much?” He tilted his head.

“They’re your family,” she shrugged. “And there’s a little girl being forced to grow up without her, admittedly dysfunctional, family. I might not like Klaus, but that doesn’t mean I’ll knowingly condemn him to never seeing his child again. So I’m going to exhaust every resource I’ve got, every contact I’ve made until I find out how to help you.”

“Is that why we’re in London?” He cocked an eyebrow. He had been under the impression they left the states to ensure there was a vast distance between him and the siblings he couldn’t see.

“Yup,” she grinned. “I’ve got another witch friend not far from here, and she’s agreed to meet us,” she held up her cell phone, “I’m just waiting on a location.”

She was certain the coffee shop was just around the corner, granted it had been nearly a decade since she’d walked the streets of London, so her grasp of geography might have been a little off.

She strolled through the streets with Elijah, keeping an eye out for the shop. He had yet to release her hand, so every once in a while she would squeeze his palm reassuringly. He had been in her company for two weeks and in that time she had come to know several things.

One: he was struggling with the knowledge of what he was.

Two: he loathed taking a human life.

Three: his blood lust rivaled that of a newly turned vampire.

She had to assume the last bit was a result of the dark magic residing in him because he had always been a pillar of self-control. Rebekah had told her, and she had relayed the information to him, that the Hollow found the blackness that resided in a person’s soul and twisted it to her desire; the ancient witch thrived on chaos, but the best a quarter of her soul could do was increase his hunger.

She made a vow to try and get them out of the city for a while as soon as this meeting was over.

“Is that it?” Elijah nodded to the other side of the street.

Elena followed his gaze to a plain storefront nestled between a small boutique, merchandise spilling out onto the street, and a nail salon. The windows opened into a brightly lit café. The sign declared it as the ‘Camden Coffee House’.

“Yeah,” she nodded.

They crossed the street and stepped into the warm interior. The sitting area was all but deserted save for a young man nursing some sort of frozen beverage and a young woman on the other side of the store in a red leather chair bouncing a small baby in her arms.

Elena smiled when the woman looked up and crossed the floor to take a seat in a tan chair. Elijah followed sitting in the chair closest to her, not quite trusting himself to get overly close to the other woman and the child that couldn’t be more than a few months old.

“Elena,” the woman grinned, “you haven’t changed a bit.”

“Niamh,” Elena leaned forward, “I’d say the same, but it looks like something’s different.”

“I did try to get a sitter,” Niamh apologized.

“It’s fine,” Elena waved off her concern, “I love kids. What’s his name?”

“Connor,” Niamh turned her son around.

“Hello, Connor, I’m an old friend of your mommy,” Elena held up her hand, smiling brightly when the baby’s chubby hand wrapped around her index finger.

“How about introducing Connor’s mum to your new friend?” Niamh chuckled.

“Right,” Elena sat back, smiling sheepishly, “I got momentarily sidetracked. This is Elijah. Elijah this is my friend  Niamh ó Cuinn.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms.  Ó Cuinn.”

“Likewise,” Niamh held out her hand for him to shake and felt her eyes widen. He was much older than he looked.

“We’ve got a situation,” Elena’s voice dropped to a whisper, “I thought you might be able to help.”

“I can try.”

Three cups of coffee sat on the café table, all half drunk, between the supernatural beings. Aside from the mugs the only other thing on the table was a sleek mac.

Elena cocked an eyebrow while bouncing baby Connor in her arms. The last time she had seen Niamh she was working out of an extensive grimoire collection.

“You’ve gone digital?”

“Those books were getting a little heavy,” Niamh smirked, fitting a thumb drive in place. “I’m toting around so much these days,” her smile softened for her son, “that I thought I’d lighten my load.”

“You had a lot of books,” Elena scrunched up her nose for the baby.

“I made a project of it during my eighth month. It took a few weeks, but I managed to scan every last grimoire.” She tapped a few buttons on the keyboard and met the brunette’s eyes. “Did you bring it?”

Elena nodded and moved to reach into her pocket only to realize she didn’t have a free hand. Turning to Elijah she smiled.

“Would you mind?”

“Oh…” his eyes widened when he realized what she was asking him. “I… I… probably shouldn’t. I don’t think I’ve ever held a child and I don’t want to hurt him.”

Elena bit back her smile at the sight of the flustered Original.

“You won’t,” she met his eyes, “I’m certain Niamh over here will kill you if you try.”

“I thought I couldn’t die?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Okay,” Elena smirked, “she can put you to sleep for a very long time.”

He sighed and nodded holding out his arms.

Elena shifted Connor and placed him in the crook of Elijah’s elbow, grinning when the boy stared at him with wide eyes. She admired the ease with which he held the baby while reaching into her small purse. Extracting a small thumb drive, still in the packaging, she opened it and handed it to Niamh.

“I asked around,” Niamh plugged in the new USB, “and I took a cursory look through my collection but I couldn’t come up with anything. So,” she pressed a few buttons and made a full copy, “I’ll give you everything I’ve got and the name of a witch with a much more in depth knowledge of… let’s say the darker things in life.”

“Dark magic?” Elena whispered.

“No,” she shook her head, “just an expert. You studied English and History, she specialized in another branch of history… the lesser known histories.”

Niamh extracted the newly minted grimoire and reached into a small pocket of the diaper bag in the stroller. Setting a phial filled with a violet liquid beside the USB she met Elena and Elijah’s eyes.

“I can’t do much for your bigger issues, but,” she nodded to the phial, “if you drink that you should get back your memories. I’d wait though,” she held up a hand when Elena picked up the concoction, “part of the spell will put you to sleep instantly until your memories are returned and because of your age you’ll be out for a while.”

“You’re sure this will work?” Elijah frowned at the innocuous liquid.

“I can’t be sure until you take it and get back to me…” Niamh reached for her son when he began to fuss, “… but I’m fairly certain.”

Elena stepped out of the steaming shower reluctantly and reached for a towel to sop the majority of the water from her hair before moving on to her body. The hotel was a reasonably nice one with excellent water pressure and extremely soft towels that practically caressed her skin.

She had fully intended to get dressed in the bathroom but when she looked at the counter she remembered exactly where she had left her clothes; the small pile still sat on the bed she had claimed for the evening.

Sighing she secured the towel around under her arms and pulled open the door, nearly swearing when collided with a warm chest.

Instinctively her hands came up to grasp his shoulders, and his fell to her waist.

“We really have to stop meeting like this darling,” Elijah smirked. His eyes flickered down to the towel beginning to slip. “This is how rumors begin.”

Attempting to hide her giggle failed miserably, and even if she had succeeded her eyes still sparkled with amusement.

“You could always try not running into me,” she cocked an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure you can hear me moving about.”

“You could always try wearing clothes,” he countered. He rubbed small circles over the towel heating the skin underneath. “Although,” his eyes flickered down again, “I’m rather fond of this ensemble.”

“Really,” she tilted her head.

“Mm,” he nodded, “the material suits you.”

“It wouldn’t look better on the floor?” Her lips lifted in a smirk when his eyes darkened.

“No,” his voice dropped, “it would look better tossed into a fair corner of the room.”

They both heard her heart thump.

It took what little control he had to keep from proving his point and tossing the towel aside so he could touch her bare skin.

Elena bit her bottom lip, eyes darting to his lips for a brief moment before returning to his gaze. A whisper of longing traveled the length of her spine as he searched her gaze. Clearing her throat delicately she closed her eyes and took a step back with a small smile.

“I should get dressed,” she stepped around him and picked up the small pile. Flashing him a lingering glance over her shoulder she walked back into the bathroom. “We wouldn’t want to start any rumors.”

She heard his chuckle when she shut the door and had to clench her fists to keep from wrenching the wood from its hinges, giving substantial evidence to any whisper that could ever circulate.

When she emerged again dressed in purple pajama pants and a black tank top she found him sitting at the table staring at the phial they had gotten from Niamh earlier in the day. His playfulness had receded to be replaced by a look of contemplation; he glanced up from the liquid when she slid into the opposite chair.

“Do you trust her?”

“I do,” she met his eyes. “Niamh knows her stuff to. Knowing your memories were compelled away makes restoring them easy; that potion will work.”

She crossed her arms on the table, leaning forward and tilting her head. She could see his hesitation in his eyes, and found it surprising given the strong desire he had felt to regain what had been lost.

“What’s up?”

“You said I chose to give up my memory,” he set the phial down on the table and sighed, “to ensure my niece was safe.”

“According to Rebekah,” Elena nodded.

“You knew me before.” He leaned over the table towards her and tilted his head, searching her features. “Do you think I’d do as Rebekah said? Do you think I would go running to my brother’s aid if he were to…?”

“Descend into madness?” She supplied.

“Let’s go with that,” he chuckled.

Elena wanted to reassure him, to tell him she had faith that he wouldn’t do it, but the words wouldn’t come out because she knew they weren’t true and she had vowed a long time ago to never lie to him again.

“I think you would,” she nodded, “go running to him if you thought he needed help. I know you would.”

She blinked when he picked up the phial and stared at it; a thousand years were held in the palm of his hand for what felt an eternity. Her eyes widened when he turned the small bottle over and placed it in her hand.

“Elijah?” She frowned. “I thought you wanted your memory back.”

“I do,” he inhaled slowly, “but I’ll be destroying my family by reclaiming them.”

“I thought you didn’t care,” she cocked an eyebrow. Hope swelled in her chest, fluttering beneath her ribs; did he care?

“I don’t,” he sighed, “but you do. I find it astounding that you could after what you told me they did to you; it’s remarkable really.”

“I’ve been told I care too much,” she tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear.

“You’ve got a compassionate soul Elena,” he reached for her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, “caring is your gift.”

She smiled softly, glancing down at their joined hands and the phial between her fingers.

“What do you want to do?”

“I want you to put that away,” he tapped the bottle.

“For a rainy day?” She smirked.

“I was thinking a sunny one,” he chuckled. “Tuck it away where I won’t find it until such a time that this Hollow business is sorted out.”

He placed a card on the table between them, drawing Elena’s eyes to the green paper.

“We’re going to Manosque,” she smiled. Standing up she fingered the bottle while considering where to place it.

“You don’t have to come,” he stood with her.

“Trying to get rid of me?” She cocked an eyebrow and set the phial down.

“Never,” he swore. Snaking his arm around her waist he pulled her into his chest. “I just wanted to give you one last chance to change your mind, come to your senses, gain some self-preservation, run for the hills…”

“When are you going to realize that I have no sense of self-preservation?” She slid her arms up and around his neck, tangling her fingers in his soft hair.

“It’ll sink in eventually,” he chuckled.

Leaning down he captured her lips in a sweet kiss that surprised him more than it did her; he had been planning on ravaging her mouth and leaving her breathless. He brought his hands up to hold her face in a tender embrace and deepened the kiss while raking his fingers through her damp hair.

Elena parted her lips at the gentle sweep of his tongue and felt her knees turn to water causing her to nearly collapse against him. A decade of knowing each other, two weeks in constant company together and three kisses spanning the entire time.

The first kiss had been meant for someone else. The second kiss came out of nowhere taking them both by surprise, but the third one… the third one had been nearly two weeks in the making.

She would have been perfectly content to spend the rest of her unnaturally long life in his arms sharing languid kisses. A gasp fell from her lips when he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and nibbled the kiss swollen flesh.

Holding the side of her face he gently tipped up her chin and started kissing along her jawline. The quick breaths falling from her lips were music to his ears, her soft moan when he slipped his hand beneath her shirt.

Elena’s head tipped back when he nibbled on her neck leaving behind a bruise that would fade in a few minutes time. She walked backwards as his kisses moved to her shoulder and felt the edge of the mattress hit the back of her legs.

She took a fistful of his shirt and pulled him onto the bed with her, reconnecting their lips when her back hit the mattress and running her hands up his back.

Caroline paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. She had been wearing a hole in the antique carpet for the past twenty minutes and was certain Stefan or Damon would make a smart remark about her actions if they were to walk in and see her.

She came to a stop at the coffee table and sighed.

“Anything?”

Bonnie shook her head and fell back on her knees, closing her eyes and sighing when strong hands started kneading the tension from her shoulders.

“Mind telling us why you’re seeking out the big bad wolf, Gorgeous?”

“She always did have a thing for accents,” Bonnie chuckled, “and she’s definitely got a type: well-traveled, charming accent, and murky morals.”

“Sounds like your type.”

“I clearly have terrible taste,” Bonnie scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“That hurts, love.”

Bonnie shifted so she was sitting cross legged and tipped her head back to look at Caroline.

“The closest I can get is Italy,” she sighed, “I’m literally getting nothing else… aside from a craving for Italian.” She glanced back at Enzo. “What do you think the odds are of talking Stefan into cooking me dinner?”

“Unlikely,” Caroline huffed, “he’s not here right now. Took off to Atlanta to pick up some part for that car he’s restoring.”

“Couldn’t just mail it?” Bonnie cocked an eyebrow.

“Nope,” Caroline rolled her eyes and made finger quotes, “its ‘too-valuable-too-rare-to-be-delivered-Caroline’. Men,” she snorted.

“On behalf of my gender…”

“Don’t even go there right now,” Caroline held up her hand.

Bonnie decided it would be best to steer the conversation back to the reason for their visit to the Boarding School.

“Closest I can get you is Italy, but why are you looking for him anyway?”

Caroline’s eyes moved from Enzo to Bonnie. Biting her cheek to keep from taking out her annoyance on the friend who really didn’t deserve it she spoke through gritted teeth.

“Let’s just say it’s time for a parent teacher conference.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

Manosque was severely underpopulated in comparison to Manhattan. Twenty-two thousand people could barely hold a candle to one and a half million. The city was nearly the same size, but so very different. There were no towering skyscrapers, no crazy rush of people hurrying to and from work in an impenetrable wave; men and women still hurried to and fro but maneuvering around them was no problem at all.

It was refreshing.

It was a city with the feel of a small town. It was beautiful, full of old world charm. The picturesque streets of the old city, restored by local government, were lined with lovely houses.

Every stone whispered a story lost to time. There were imprints from each year left behind.

Without heavy matters pressing down her shoulders, forcing her closer and closer to the ground, she would have been happy to just stroll through the city and absorb its beauty while drinking in the rich history.

However, she did not currently have the time to enjoy the scenery or attempt to make conversation in order to practice her rudimentary French. They were there for a reason.

* * *

The pub was all but empty in the early hours of the afternoon. The majority of people in the city did not appear to be day drinkers. It was a lot like Mystic Falls in that regard.

Finding Damon or Alaric at the Grille on their third, or sometimes even forth, drink by two o'clock was not an uncommon occurrence. Manosque held a small majority of day drinkers, at least the ones that didn't care about drinking in public.

Aside from the two of them there were only to other people in the pub. A burly bartender wiped down glasses and stacked shelves. In the far corner, shielded by shadows, sat a woman with her head bowed over.

Every other table was empty.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" He folded his jacket over his arm.

"It's the right address," Elena ran her fingers over the black and white keys of a piano. Her eyes found a clock on the far wall. "We are a little early though. I got so used to New York that I thought we'd have to fight traffic."

"Walking?" His lips lifted in a smirk.

"Yup," she chirped. "Manhattan is wall to wall people."

She glanced over her shoulder towards the bartender when his gruff voice broke the still air.

"Qu'auras-tu?"

Her brows puckered in confusion. They rose when his smooth voice returned in flawless French.

"Nous rencontrons quelqu'un."

The bartender went back to work.

"You speak French?" Elena turned back to Elijah.

"Apparently," he frowned. Clearing his throat he nodded to the keys beneath her fingers. "Do you play?"

Elena glanced down and smiled softly.

"I used to. I had lessons as a kid and I played with my mom." Her expression clouded for a moment. "I haven't touched one since my parents died."

"Do you play?" She felt like kicking herself the second the words slipped through her lips.

"I don't know," he chuckled, "you'd have to tell me that."

She tilted her head and looked at him as her embarrassment faded. In the length of their acquaintance she had never seen him display any musical talent, but it seemed like something he would have tried at some point in his life. A thousand years was a long time, and she knew at one point he and his siblings had posed as nobility; weren't nobles supposed to be proficient in foreign languages and accomplished on several musical instruments.

"One way to find out," she cocked an eyebrow and nodded to the piano. Glancing over her shoulder she asked in broken French if it was alright.

"That was terrible," his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Forgive me for not being fluent," she rolled her eyes. Sliding onto the bench she ran her fingertips over the ivory keys. Thirteen years had passed since the accident, but the pain she had once felt before a piano had lightened.

He draped his jacket over a nearby chair when she began to play. Sitting on her left side he spotted a slight shimmer in her eyes that she blinked away.

"Here," she smiled softly, "put your fingers over mine."

The gentle melody stilled as he moved his hands in place before picking up when he shifted with her. A sweet tune filled the hollow room when Elena began to play again with the pleasant weight of his hands over hers.

She watched from the corner of her eye.

His features shifted into a confused frown: the look of a man who knew what he wanted to say but couldn't find the words on the tip of his tongue. The furrow in his brow deepened as he tilted his head.

"I know this feeling," he murmured. The music washed over him lifting his mood in the way her smile did.

Elena bit her bottom lip and smiled while moving her hands back.

The music didn't stop.

He kept playing.

Soft laughter bubbled up from Elena's mouth. She couldn't stop it when she watched the pure joy playing across his features. She was glad she had chosen a happy tune.

She wasn't going to do it but she lifted her hand back to the keys and joined him. They played together for a moment until he froze and took her wrist in his hand effectively stilling her movements.

It took her a second to pick up what his enhanced senses already had.

A third person had stepped inside the pub and was watching them intently. Together they turned and found the woman in the door.

"That was beautiful." She nodded to the instrument at which they were still seated.

Elijah's eyes flickered over the slim young woman. She appeared to be somewhere between eighteen and twenty-five with blonde curls secured in a low ponytail and glittering emerald eyes.

"Who are you?" He frowned.

"I'm your three o'clock," she shrugged with a small smile. "I mean, I'm assuming you're the ones I'm meeting since it is now three o'clock and the two of you are the only vampires in the pub."

Elena's eyes grew round and darted to the bartender and the woman scribbling away in a spiral notebook.

"Don't worry about them," the newcomer waved dismissively. "They don't speak English."

* * *

She slipped through the narrow streets silently. Her eyes darted to her phone every few seconds to ensure she was still following the dotted red line that google had laid out for her.

She rolled her eyes when she spotted the house in front of her. Her final destination was a sixteenth century home that she felt confident dubbing as a palace.

She didn't hesitate before pulling open the gate and stepping into the maintained courtyard and approached the fountain. A glance over her shoulder revealed the cold marble eyes of some deity overlooking the garden.

The gravel crunched underfoot as she approached the house, but when she heard the screams coming from inside she ran.

She couldn't remember a time when she had ever feared him, so there was no hesitation when she pinned him to the wall with a hand around his throat.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Her eyes flickered over his features.

"Hello, luv," Klaus smiled. His eyes darted to the half dozen bodies littering the palazzo floor.

Caroline followed his gaze and counted, adding the six deceased to the mental list she had begun when she landed in Italy. Rumors, hearsay and her own eyes put the numbers close to triple digits, and those were just the ones she had heard about.

Ignoring the cloying smell of fresh blood she turned back to him.

"Are you trying to break your record?"

"Currently, I'm trying not to flatter myself that you're here on a sudden whim to see me." He tilted his head when she took a step back and watched her draped the bodies with an antique rug. "Why are you here Caroline? Surely the Boarding school can't do without its headmistress so soon after its opening; you must be needed across the pond."

"Call it a work trip: parent-teacher conference," Caroline crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed in a glare. "You no longer answer your phone so I had to resort to hunting you down." She heaved an exasperated sigh. "You do realize I have a very busy life right? I'm responsible for an entire school full of kids, including yours."

She caught the way his eyes flickered.

"You remember, obviously," she cocked an eyebrow. "The little girl you have yet to ask me about. You're avoiding her, and I want to know why."

"I'm not…"

"You are," she stepped back into his personal space. "I found her in my office a few weeks ago upset because her father wasn't answering her calls."

"She's heard the rumors, you know." Caroline hummed. "She's clever and small, so eavesdropping isn't that difficult."

"What rumors would those be, love?" His jaw ticked.

"Oh you know," she waved one hand towards his handiwork, "that you've gone completely bonkers."

"As you can clearly see," he chuckled darkly.

"You seem normal crazy too me," she scoffed.

"High praise."

Caroline shifted back on her heels and met his eyes.

"Two men from the family that own this building were killed at a nightclub last night by an alleged maniac, and here lie more bodies." She clicked her tongue. "Care to explain why you're methodically picking off all the members of one family?"

"Because I'm compulsive," he shrugged. "Or maybe I'm just wiling away the time; I do have an eternity of it. Or," he held up a finger and smirked, "maybe, just maybe, Klaus Mikaelson has finally gone mad."

"Or," she smirked, "you want people to think you have because this little spree you're on isn't random. You've got a list, don't you?"

She saw the confirmation in his surprised eyes.

"Yeah," she nodded, "it shocked me too. I was honestly expecting to find you on some sort of bender after I talked to Hope."

* * *

"You can't be serious," she scoffed; it had to be the most ridiculous plan she had ever heard, and she knew Damon.

"I've never been more serious in my life," he glanced down at the basket she thrust into his hands. Turning on his heel he followed her back towards the corpses. "In my experience those that have been wronged seek revenge, and since many of them," he gestured to the dead with the basket causing bottles to rattle, "have long memories, I am determined to systematically annihilate each and every one of our enemies, and the heirs of our enemies."

"That's insane," she twisted off the cap on the bottle of bleach. "That list has got to be endless by now."

"It has to be done," he shrugged. "It's the only way I can ensure my brother is protected."

"You're doing this for Elijah?" Caroline's brows shot up.

"Of course," he nodded, "in his present state he wouldn't know an enemy it they sat down beside him. How did you know it was Elijah to whom I was referring?"

"Heard about his 'memory loss' through the grapevine," she shrugged. She poured the bleach into a bucket and knelt on the floor after grabbing a rag from the basket in his hand.

"Why exactly are you bothering with this?" He gestured to the stain she was now scrubbing at furiously.

"Because the building is historic," she sighed. She pulled out another rag and held it in front of him. "Take it and start over there." She poured more bleach in another bucket for him.

They had been cleaning in silence for several minutes when Caroline lifted her head. Her eyes darted to the dead now wrapped in plastic to protect the floor. What were the odds that any of them had ever even heard of Klaus, or knew about the wrongs he had done some obscure member of their family countless years ago?

"This isn't right," she shook her head; "even for you this is going too far. What happened to you?"

He balled the rag in his fist and wondered if the break would have come on eventually regardless of Hope's sudden appearance in France a few months before. Rebekah had once called him a lost soul who couldn't be predicted without Elijah to stand in his way, but he thought his actions were easily discerned.

"I'm no good without Elijah."

"You must have been parted before," she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Not like this," he shook his head, "I've lost my brother, and I'll never see him again."

"You've still got a daughter," she wrong out the last of the blood into the bucket.

"She's better off without me," he averted his eyes. Shame prickled his scalp. "I know what it's like to be raised by a monster."

Her annoyance flared with the phrase. She choked on her anger to keep from shouting but she could still hear the suppressed rage in her own voice.

"Seriously?" Her eyes flashed. "It was a thousand years ago. Newsflash," she tossed her hands in the air, "the guy is dead, so get over it. Stop using Mikael as an excuse to be a bad father!"

There were few times in his life when he had ever been startled by another being, and upon quick reflection he realized that most of the moments, most of the times he had been shocked into silence, were caused by her.

His muttered insistence that she was better off was met with a glare that would have melted ice.

"I happen to know what it's like to be a kid missing her father too," her voice softened when she thought of the sad little girl at school.

"I can't be around her Caroline."

"I figured," she rolled her eyes. "Hayley mentioned that none of you could be near her, didn't go into details, but I got the sense it was some sort of issue centering around magic and keeping her safe, am I close?" She waited for his nod. "I thought so. You may not be able to be in the same room as her, but there is this…" she reached into her back pocket, "… ancient gadget called a telephone."

"Use it before the two of you lose each other." She got to her feet to dispose of the chemicals.

"You came halfway around the world to yell at me and tell me to call my daughter?" His brows shot up when she tossed him her phone. "Why?"

"Because…" she hesitated, and tightened her hold on the bucket, "… I… I happen to think you're someone worth knowing."

* * *

"Do you think you can help?" Elena ran her finger around the rim of her glass.

"Potentially," Lexa crossed her legs under the table and leaned back in her chair. "I just want to make sure I've got this straight."

"Sure," Elijah nodded.

"Okay," Lexa hummed. "This Hollow possessed your niece and was going to kill her so she could take over the child. A witch in New Orleans came up with a solution that moved the Hollow from the girl to you and your siblings, who you no longer remember. And now you can't be anywhere near them because if you are the Hollow will reform and go after your niece again."

"That about sums it up," Elena crossed her arms over the table.

"There's just one small problem with all of this," Lexa bit her bottom lip, "one thing that doesn't add up."

"What's that?"

"The choice of vessels," Lexa tilted her head and regarded Elijah. "Assuming the witch had enough power to lift the Hollow from the child and split it in four pieces they could have contained it differently. Placing it in people is the stupidest idea I've ever heard of, siblings is even worse."

"What do you mean?" Elijah's eyes narrowed.

"I mean people move about," she leaned forward and whispered. "Their locations fluctuate and there's no way to regulate that movement, or to account for the bond between family. Eventually you'll all make your way back to each other if just for a glimpse." Her fingers drummed the table lightly. "There are ways to contain these sorts of things."

"Could this be contained somewhere else?" Elena rolled her wrist, sloshing the liquid in her glass. She'd had that thought a few times since meeting Rebekah in New York, but without an adequate understanding of magic she thought her thoughts were a pipe dream at most.

"It's going to be more difficult now," Lexa chewed her bottom lip. Her eyes rolled to the left in thought. "The Hollow's now in pieces which means it will have to be drawn out carefully and sealed in a mystical container."

"Shouldn't it be easier now that it's broken down and weak?" Elijah frowned.

"Wouldn't that be more dangerous? Couldn't people locate the containers?"

"Not if they're on different plains of existence," Lexa cocked an eyebrow. "Niamh sent you to me for a reason, and in her mind it's because I've made a career of the history of magic in its many forms. Do you know what my studies have taught me, Elena?"

"I'd think many things," she tilted her head.

"You're right," Lexa nodded. "I know about the origin of the different supernatural races: vampires, werewolves, travellers, hunters, immortals, and doppelgangers. I know the different forms of magic: nature, spirit, traveller, ancestral and expression. And I know about the various states of limbo that are separate from each other."

Elijah whetted his bottom lip quickly as he tilted his head to watch her through narrow eyes. The set of her jaw told him the young witch had an idea, and he suspected he knew what it was.

"You want to extract the Hollow and store it somewhere else in some sort of box?"

"A locked box," she held up a finger to clarify. "Obviously you can't seal something permanently because there has to be a way to open it, but I can try and make the key… hard to find. Something nearly impossible to locate would be best."

"Like Klaus' curse," Elena murmured. She felt two pairs of eyes on her a second later. "He couldn't break it without the blood of a doppelganger: my blood."

"You're the doppelganger?" Lexa looked at the brunette in a new light. "That would do it. Doppelganger blood is said to be a powerful binding agent and also incredibly rare."

Elena shook her head slowly.

"I'm a vampire…"

"But your blood retains its magical properties," Lexa cut her off. "Did you have kids before you turned, Elena?"

She was mildly taken aback by the shift in conversation, but shook her head regardless.

"Do you have any family left alive that could carry on your bloodline?"

"My brother, but technically he's my cousin on my dad's side," she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Would I be correct in assuming your doppelganger nature comes from your mom's side?" When Elena nodded she smirked. "Excellent; I could use your blood to seal the containers."

"Would that work?" Elijah's eyes darted to Elena.

"It should," Lexa nodded. In her head she was already going through a list of possible containers and spells to draw out the leech attached to his soul. "For good measure I'd put the pieces on separate plains; one on the Ancestral Plain, one in Hell, one in reality and one in the Dark Realm."

"The dark realm?" Elena blinked slowly.

"It was supernatural purgatory before the creation of Hell and The Other Side," Lexa explained. "In order to reunite the Hollow one would have to collect the pieces from each plain and obtain your blood…"

"I sense a 'but'," Elena met Elijah's eyes for a moment. "Would it be hard to place the Hollow there?"

"There are gates into each of the realm," Lexa shook her head, "for those who know where to look, and spells to temporarily open them. The problem isn't moving them to limbo or finding a container to hold them. The problem is extracting it from its current host."

"You'd have to find them all," Elijah reached for Elena's hand under the table.

"And you better believe pulling out something that wants to stay put is going to be difficult," Lexa shook her head.

"What can we do to help?" Elena ran her thumb over his knuckles.

"You can retrieve the wood or stone I'll need to create the containers, and give me your blood when I need it," Lexa's eyes shifted to Elijah. "You can be my willing guinea pig; it's probably going to take a few tries to get it out of you."

* * *

He stared down at the phone in his hand. The contact information for the school had already been pulled up. All he needed to do was press call, but he hesitated.

How could he ever hope to explain what she had seen?

He sighed when he felt her eyes on him.

"Must you hover?"

"Just making sure you actually call," Caroline leaned against a pillar.

"She astral projected Caroline," he murmured, "and saw something." He could still see the look in her eyes, and feel the horror in her expression. Hayley, his mother, his father, and even his siblings, in moments of anger, had said he would ruin his daughter if given half the chance.

"I know," she straightened up and circled around to stand in front of him. She could still see him covered in blood; she could hear the shell shocked tone as he choked out his daughter's name. "She misses you."

"I can't…"

"Don't you dare give me that," her eyes narrowed in a glare. She plucked her phone from his hand and pressed the call button. Holding the phone to her ear she told Bonnie to get Hope.

_"Pull her out of class?"_

"Yes," Caroline nodded. She passed back the phone when she heard small feet entering her office.

_"Hello?"_

His throat clenched at the sound of her voice. The innocent curiosity was in stark contrast with the terror that had burst from her lips. It reminded him of the day he had taught her how to mix paint.

_"Hello?"_

"Hello, sweetheart," his fingers curled tightly around the phone.

_"Dad?"_

Caroline could practically see the puckering of Hope's lips and the vulnerability in her eyes. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that father and daughter shared the same facial expression. Stepping away from him she moved outside and perched on the edge of the fountain to wait.

* * *

"You left me," she held the phone in both hands. She had wanted the words to sound angry, accusatory, but she seemed to be stuck on sadness; it weighed heavily on her chest and behind her eyes. She didn't notice when Bonnie left the room.

_"I had to, Hope."_

"That's what Caroline said," she sniffled.

_"It's the truth. Had there been another option I would have taken it, but we had to get the Hollow out of you."_

"That's what mom said," she stared at her plaid skirt. Catching her toe on the desk she spun the chair back and forth in a half circle. "You stopped calling."

The anger that had fallen under the blanket of sadness reared its head causing a candle to light on the desk and the flame to raise six inches into the air.

_"I didn't think you would want to hear from me after what happened. I'm sorry, sweetheart I should have called you much sooner."_

She agreed before falling quiet. Her eyes locked on the candle flame now at a respectable height. She wanted to tell him she missed him.

"Are you coming back?"

_"I can't do that Hope."_

"Then I can come to you," she sat up.

_"Hope, you can't come to me, sweetheart. We can't be anywhere near each other."_

"But…"

_"I can't see you ever again, Hope. If I do the Hollow could take hold of you again."_

"I don't care about the stupid Hollow," she cried. The flame sputtered higher and higher when he repeated his previous statement.

* * *

"I can't be near you, Hope." His heart wrenched painfully when her sobs echoed over the line, and for a moment he was back in the courtyard stealing one last look at the child he would never again see.

"I love you," he disconnected the call before her tears could draw him to Mystic Falls. He stared at the hunk of glass and plastic for a long moment before curling his hand into a fist.

Blood dripped from the cuts on his hand and from his knuckles when he punched the pillar hard enough to create a series of cracks. His fist collided with the stone again and again until a slim hand wrapped around his forearm.

Caroline pulled him into her arms. Her fingers threaded through his hair as she tucked his head into the crook of her neck. She made no comment on the choked sounds rising in his throat or the tremors shaking his body.

Her eyes fell to his bloodied hand when she let him go.

"Did you crush my phone?" She bent and picked up a bloody piece of plastic, rolling her eyes when he rubbed the back of his neck. "Good thing I got the extended warranty."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a little late. I've had a crazy week, and a cold on top of it, but the cold is gone now. so yay
> 
> Leave a review and let me know what you think.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> Sorry for the long delay in updating. I've got some kind of bug, coupled with insanely busy work weeks that have kept me from typing. I'm hoping I'm back in the swing of things now though.

The polished ebony gleamed in the flickering light cast by the candles. The wood, according to Lexa, was perfectly balanced in energy and the five elements, and when attempting to imprison a malevolent spirit balance was exactly what they needed.

It had been easy enough to find and carve into four boxes. Runes decorated each side further representing the elements and glowed brilliant red, fueled by Elena's blood. If she hadn't known any better she would have said that the boxes had been inlaid with rubies; the runes certainly sparkled like precious gems.

Finding the wood had been easy.

Fashioning the boxes, that Elena had begun mentally referring to as Hope's hope chests, had been annoying but simple enough in execution.

Spelling the containers had given her ballroom flashbacks and left her thirst when all was said and done.

She had believed things would continue running smoothly. She knew it had been a fool's hope.

Three attempts had been made to extract the Hollow, and so far each had failed spectacularly. It was disheartening, but a tiny part of her, the selfish part reveling in the flow of their burgeoning relationship, rejoiced because he had sworn not to regain his memories until he was free of the Hollow.

She loved being wanted for her.

That small part made her feel sick.

There was a little girl missing her dad. He was missing his entire life, and what was she doing? She was wishing they would continue to fail so she wouldn't lose him.

It was sickening.

She offered Elijah a hand up as Lexa kicked over a candle; a line of wax created a semi-circle as it rolled towards her. She gave the white line a wry look before raising her eyes to the young witch.

"I'm going to assume it didn't work." It was only a small part that wanted them to fail.

"No," Lexa groaned. Rocking back she hugged her knees to her chest and pushed her fingers into her hair. With her eyes closed she began thinking out loud. "This doesn't make any sense. Extraction is basically an exorcism, and nobody could have resisted that last spell."

A few weeks earlier and they might have interrupted in an attempt to help, but time had taught them Lexa was not looking for conversation; it was best to leave her be when she began mumbling.

Elena moved into her small kitchen while Lexa lost herself inside her head. She was fast and quiet, returning to the living room a few minutes later with three mugs.

"It was almost out," Lexa shook her head, "something stopped it." Her eyes snapped open when she smelt the invigorating combination of ginseng and ginger. She sipped the liquid in a contemplative silence and felt her energy level slowly lift.

"Thank you," Elijah offered a small smile when Elena passed him a mug of warm blood. He doubted she would have batted an eye if he had chosen to retrieve something a little fresher, but in spite of the control he had managed to regain he still didn't trust himself around people; especially after one of Lexa's attempts that made the tiny whisper a deafening roar for violence, a battle cry for blood.

Elena was just raising her own mug when he drained his. Wordlessly she handed him her full mug; he needed it more than she did.

It was so quiet that when Lexa broke the silence the sound of her voice made Elena's heart jump.

"I need more."

"More what?" Elijah lowered the half-empty mug.

"Information," Lexa leapt to her feet. Moving to the kitchen she rinsed her mug and kept talking. "All the knowledge I've got to work off comes from second hand sources. I need to know more about the spell that put the Hollow in you and your siblings."

She came back through and tilted her head.

"Don't you have something to restore your memories?"

"I won't risk that until the Hollow is out of me," he shook his head. "It's too dangerous."

"Okay," Lexa nodded, "then I guess it's time to play Sherlock Holmes."

"Who?" Elijah's eyes narrowed.

"A famous literary detective," Elena smiled.

"I guess that makes her Holmes and you Dr. Watson," Lexa hummed.

"And why is that?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"It's elementary my dear Watson," Elena stifled her giggle. She had no idea where Lexa was taking this but she hadn't been able to resist the quip.

"She has more knowledge than you do."

"Not much more," Elena frowned.

"You know where to start," Lexa reasoned.

"You want us to go back?" Elena's eyes widened.

"All he has to do it stay away from his siblings and his niece right?" She waited for the nod of confirmation. "His siblings scattered and his niece is at school. The only person of interest in town will be the witch that removed the Hollow. I want to know exactly what they did."

* * *

"Have I mentioned how much I detest poor weather?"

"Detest," Elena cocked an eyebrow, "really?"

"Word of the day," Lexa shrugged. "I thought it adequately reflected my sentiments towards Claudette."

"Words of the day?" Elena giggled.

The line inched forward.

"For the record," Elijah eyed the grumbling crowd, "I don't believe there is anyone who likes a hurricane."

Elena nodded. The tropical storm had forced their plane to land early and grounded all flights for the foreseeable future.

"Couldn't you use a little persuasion to get us through here?" Lexa smiled hopefully.

"I only compel when I don't have another choice," Elena shook her head.

"Just my luck," she sighed dramatically, "I get the vampire with a conscious."

Elijah chuckled and stepped forward in line. They were nearly to the front.

"I'm intimately familiar with the consequences of compulsion," Elena cast her eyes to her handbag, "I had it used on me often enough while I was human. Now I only use it on the rare occasion that I feed from a human."

Elena frowned when she looked up and found Lexa staring at her.

"What?" She tilted her head.

"You're just so…" she blinked, searching for the right word, "… refreshing. Most vampires I've met think of themselves as superior, a race apart, and entitled to whatever they want."

Elena wanted to say that her sample was skewed, but in her experience that superiority complex was quite common. Most had little to no regard for human life; vampires like Caroline, Stefan, Elijah and herself were the exceptions.

"Free will is free will," Elena shrugged. She couldn't take that from someone any more than she could have taken their life.

Despite their position near the front of the line by the time they reached the desk the last vehicle had been rented. None of them were overly upset about it, especially when they saw the young family the man returned to.

"I wasn't looking forward to driving through a hurricane anyway," Lexa shrugged, adjusting her bag. "A strong wind, or a turn taken too fast and I'd be dead."

"We wouldn't let you die, Lexa," Elijah smiled.

"Nah," she smirked, "you still need me."

"You're also good company," Elena snickered.

* * *

She had gotten more than a few strange looks when she said they didn't have to join the clamour for a place to wait out the storm. They kept it up in the cab when she gave the driver a residential address.

"You know someone in Georgia?" Elijah watched the scenery go by as they moved towards houses.

"My brother lives in Atlanta," Elena nodded to the blue house when they driver pulled up. She almost laughed when he subconsciously squeezed her hand.

If she hadn't known any better she would have said he was nervous. The way his jaw ticked certainly suggested it, but what could he possibly have to be nervous about.

"Are you alright?" She asked, stepping from the cab. It wasn't like Jeremy was packing white oak.

"What's he like?"

Then it dawned on her; he was about to meet the only family she had left in the world, the person who arguably meant the most to her. He was afraid of what Jeremy might think of him, or them. She had never seen the Original in such a position, so naturally she couldn't resist teasing him.

"He's evil incarnate," she deadpanned, struggling to keep a straight face when he gulped. "A happy homicidal maniac."

"Really?" He eyed the path to the door nervously.

"Mmhmm… no, wait a minute…" she tilted her head, "… I'm thinking of your brothers."

"Elena," he sighed. Reaching out he snagged her waist pulling her flush into his chest. "It's not nice to mock."

"Mocking and teasing are two very different things," she smiled sweetly. Stretching up on her toes she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and succeeded in drawing forth a small smile. "Jeremy is very nice, and he always liked you."

"Did he now?" Elijah cocked an eyebrow. He found that hard to believe after what she had told him he and his family had done to her.

"Well, he didn't hate you," Elena's eyes twinkled.

"That was before I became entangled with his sister."

Elena felt a delicious shiver race down her spine at the word entangled; it was such an innocent word, but it held so much meaning. Her life had become entangled with his overnight, and very recently they had been entangled in sheets with their limbs intertwined so they took up as little of the queen sized bed as possible; she was looking forward to the next time they could be entangled like that. The smirk on his lips told her he was looking forward to it as well.

"It won't change anything," she shook her head.

"What if it does?"

"Well, then," she hummed, "the worst he can do is shoot you."

"Is that all?"

Elena didn't get a chance to reply before Lexa called from the steps.

"I don't think you need to worry about that," she pushed the doorbell again, "he's not home."

"Not a big deal," Elena shrugged. Reaching into her purse she pulled out a ring of keys and marveled for a moment over how many keys she had amassed during the last few years; there were keys for her family home, the lake house, the Boarding school, Bonnie's house, Caroline's house, and Jeremy's house.

She strode up the path and located the key she wanted. When the door swung open she stepped over the threshold and pulled out her phone; it connected on the third ring.

"Well, well, well," Jeremy tsked, "if it isn't the prodigal sister finally returning my calls."

"Sorry, Jer," she blushed, "I've been busy, and out of the country." She had kept up an email chain telling him about the places she had seen while leaving out the specific details for her sudden European excursion; all Jeremy knew was that she had been helping out a friend.

"It's fine; just promise me next time you flee the country to call more. I don't like having an email relationship with my sister."

"You got it," she smirked.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as storm clouds rolled in. she eyed the darkening sky from the safety of the house and heard the first pings of rain on the roof.

"Listen Jer, my plane was grounded because of the hurricane and I'm at your house, but I need you to invite someone in for me." She switched to speaker phone.

"Sure."

"Just like that?" A line appeared between Lexa's brows.

"Unlike some people, who shall remain unnamed, I trust my sister's judgement. Come on in."

"Thanks Jer," she grinned when Elijah stepped inside. "Where are you anyway?"

"Running an errand for Ric," Jeremy grunted, "I should be back soon."

Elena hung up and closed the door on the downpour.

* * *

The rain was coming down in sheets when he pulled over outside the old diner. Even with his enhanced senses it was hard to see, but he knew when the other car pulled up that it was him. Nobody else was crazy enough to be out in a hurricane.

He glanced into the backseat and adjusted his hood before stepping from the vehicle.

"You got them?" Alaric raised his voice to be heard over the wind and rain.

"I got 'em."

Alaric squinted into the backseat where two children slept slumped against the leather.

"Which one's which?"

Jeremy nodded to the skinnier of the kids with a mop of straight brown hair. It was hard to separate the image of the peaceful child with what he had seen a few hours before.

"That's the werewolf," Alaric frowned, "he's so young. What happened?"

"You know what kids are like," Jeremy shrugged. "They push and shove. He just happened to push at the top of a hill."

"It was an accident?"

"It was an accident," Jeremy nodded.

"And the other one?" He glanced at the other boy. His unruly curls fell into his eyes.

"He was too close when the shift happened and got hurt," water dripped from his nose. "I had some vampire blood on me, but he saw some things."

"So, I'll take him back to the school and have Caroline or Stefan compel away his traumatic experience."

"Not necessary," Jeremy shivered. The cold was starting to get to him. "Elena's in town, so there's not need to abduct two children."

"It's only abduction until I locate the parents," Alaric rocked back on his heels.

"Orphans," Jeremy eyed the boys, "they were in some sort of group home."

"Then it's only until the paperwork goes through," Alaric pushed his wet hair back from his face. His eyes were glued on the distorted image of the boys. "Elena…" he whistled. "Are you sure about this? You know how she feels about compulsion."

"These are extraordinary circumstances." Jeremy opened the door and shook the sleeping werewolf gently. "I think she'll make an exception."

Jeremy watched Alaric's car after making the introductions until it became completely obscured by the rain. Shucking off his wet jacket he took one last look into the backseat before pulling out of the parking lot.

* * *

"How long do you think we'll be at a standstill?" His smooth voice broke the calm that had settled over them like a warm blanket.

Elena turned her gaze from the dark world beyond the window, it wasn't like she could make anything out beyond the rivulets on the glass, and leaned into his side with a small shrug. The arm he wrapped around her shoulders warmed her from the inside out.

"Most hurricanes last between twelve and twenty-four hours," she murmured. She choked down her hum of approval when his fingers threaded through her hair. "There was one that lasted nearly a month when I was… two… I think."

Her eyes drifted shut; the combination of the rain and the soothing motion of his hand lulling her into a light slumber.

Lexa glanced up from the tablet in her hands and caught the moment Elena nodded off. The sight of Elijah adjusting the throw over her body sparked a distant feeling of envy; it had been a long time since someone had looked at her the way he was looking at Elena, since someone had held her like that. There was a quiet level of intimacy between them that she longed to feel herself.

It was almost laughable.

She had felt the darkness in him and sensed the light in her. They were a pair she never would have imagined together if she had met them separately, but they somehow worked; they had a connection.

He was drawn to Elena, and it had very little to do with the fact that her light seemed to temper the Hollow.

Lexa shook herself from her thoughts and turned her attention back to her tablet. She had loaded the grimoire collection from Niamh and added it to her own; the result was nearly sixty grimoires and close to a thousand reference books and journals. It still baffled her that she could hold so much knowledge in the palm of her hand.

Her eyes stared to follow the neat lines of printing, the account of a man forgotten to all who knew him, when the sound of gravel crunching under tires drew her head up.

"I think someone's here." Her voice broke the silence at the same moment the garage door opened.

Elena sat up as the slight vibrations traveled through her body. She blinked away the sleep and turned with Elijah in time to see Jeremy freeze in the door; his wide eyes flickered from his sister to Elijah and barely registered the blonde when she stood.

Lexa was pretty sure he was questioning his sister's judgement when he swore loudly and was surprised when his voice didn't wake the child in his arms.

* * *

"What are you mixed up in now?" Jeremy pulled the door shut behind him, closing the sleeping child off from the coming conversations.

"Me?" Elena gave him an incredulous look and nodded to the door. "What are you involved with baby brother?"

"You know technically I'm older?" He tilted his head.

"Only physically," she smirked. "I'll still be calling you baby brother when you're seventy."

"In my line of work?" Jeremy clamped his mouth shut when he realized what he had said.

"Your line of…" her brows furrowed. "You're a teacher…" Her mouth popped open as she followed him back into the living room.

"Jeremy," indignation dripped from her tongue, "you're still doing it, aren't you?"

"Doing what?" Elijah frowned. He had done his best not to eavesdrop on the siblings when they had gone down the hall.

"Hunting," Elena crossed her arms.

"Hunting?" Lexa's eyes snapped to Jeremy. "You're a hunter?" She bit her cheek when he nodded. "And your sister is a vampire?" She just held in her laugh because it really wasn't funny.

She turned her attention back to Elena.

"You forge the strangest relationships."

"You should have seen my Thelma and Louise routine with Rebekah," her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Doesn't count," Jeremy crossed his arms, "you didn't have your humanity; the second you got it back you went straight back to hating her."

"I don't hate Rebekah," Elena met his eyes, and was unsurprised to find it true. She had been unable to summon any feelings of animosity for the blonde since she showed up in New York and asked that she take care of Elijah.

"Fine," he sighed, "what are you doing here?"

An unspoken question hung between he Gilbert siblings, but Elena knew what it was when she sat with Elijah on the small sofa. He wanted to know what she was doing with him.

She shot Elijah a questioning look and saw the confirmation in his eyes. With their fingers interlocked she met Jeremy's eyes and filled him in on the highlights of the last few months, trailing off towards the end for Lexa to explain the basics of the spell they were attempting to perform.

Jeremy was silent for several long moments after the trio had finished; he was busy wondering how many years it would have taken his sister and Elijah to come together if the whole mess hadn't happened. He knew it had been inevitable because of her unspoken connection with the Original but he had been holding on to hope that he would be six feet underground of decorating the mantle in a fancy urn before she took the plunge and tied herself to the Mikaelson family.

"What do you need from me?" He might not have liked the choice she had made, but she was still his sister.

"A few things," Elena leaned forward and felt Elijah's thumb brush over her knuckles. "We need a spot to wait out the storm."

"Stay as long as you need."

"I also need my car; airports won't be up and running again for a while." She had left the vehicle with her brother when she moved to New York.

"It's in the garage."

"Wonderful," she tilted her head and dropped her voice. "Now I need to know what you were thinking."

"I'm not hunting Elena," he met her flashing gaze. "I do recruitment sometimes for Ric and Caroline."

"The kid?" She twisted towards the fall where his heart beat.

"Got on the wrong side of a werewolf."

"He looked fine," Elena frowned.

"Curtesy of new clothes and a few ounces of your blood," Jeremy glanced towards the hall. "I was going to send him with Ric so Stefan or Caroline could compel him, but you were in town so…"

"You want me to compel a child?"

"He saw a kid change, was chased through the woods and attacked; he's going to be traumatized."

"And yet he's sleeping soundly," Lexa cocked an eyebrow.

"A potion from Bonnie," he pulled a green phial from his pocket. "He's sedated. Will you do it, or do I have to put him in the car and drive to Mystic Falls in a hurricane?"

Elena frowned. She hated using compulsion, but there were circumstances that warranted it.

"I'll talk to him when he wakes up. What's his name?"

"He didn't really say much after watching his skin knit back together."

* * *

Jeremy was mildly impressed with how long they managed to avoid the confrontation. It was hours of busy work while the storm raged on but eventually the child woke up and they lost their buffer; up until that point Elena had been between them, either talking or ensuring he had a store of her blood for emergencies. He hadn't admitted to hunting but he knew she knew when she drew several bags of blood and stored them in his fridge.

Eventually she had left them to deal with the kid.

"You disapprove."

He looked up from the pile of papers he had been attempting to grade while trying not to weep for the state of the public education system.

"Am I that transparent?" He set the unmarked essay aside.

"No," Elijah chuckled, "but I can't imagine you're thrilled with her decision to… help me." He could hear the distant sound of Elena's heart beating down the hall.

"Elena…" Jeremy sighed, shaking his head. "She's going to do what she wants, it's taken her a long time to get to the point where she could, and I'll be damned if I try to stop her."

"You still disapprove." He sat at the table and gave the young man a questioning look.

Klaus had killed her. Finn had used her. Rebekah had turned her. Kol would have killed her.

"Involvement with the Mikaelson's has always been hazardous to her health," Jeremy tilted his head and smirked softly.

"So I've heard," he met his eyes.

"She's my sister," he shrugged. "I want her to make choices that will keep her out of trouble, but she cares too much about other people for that to ever be a possibility; luckily she's a little more durable these days."

"I keep waiting for her to come to her senses and run as far from me as possible." He picked up a pen, turning it over in his hands.

"That's unlikely to happen," he shook his head. "She cares, and when she cares she does everything in her power to help. I've never once seen her abandon someone she cares about."

Jeremy reached for the essay again. He was halfway through the third page when he paused and looked up.

"Elijah?" He knew he had the Original's attention when he nodded slightly. "Just…" he drew in a deep breath and released it slowly, "… just don't let her get hurt."

"I'll do everything in my power to ensure she never comes to harm," he met the hunter's gaze. "I give you my word."

There was a quiet intensity in the Original's eyes, but Jeremy still wondered how much weight the vow carried now that he was without his memories.

* * *

She closed the door behind her and approached the child on the bed.

He sat with his knees drawn to his chest peering through the window pane at the lightening sky; rain still poured from the heavens but the sun was rising behind the clouds. Every once in a while his eyes would dart to the corners of the room.

He jerked up when he saw her and watched her warily.

"Hello," she smiled softly. "My name's Elena. What's yours?"

"Landon," he blinked slowly.

"Do you remember how you got here, Landon?" Elena sat carefully on the side of the bed leaving some space between them. She caught his gaze. "You were lost in the woods and my brother found you; luckily you weren't hurt. He brought you here."

Her eyes grew round when he didn't nod along with her. It had been a little while since she'd used compulsion, but she was certain she'd done it right.

"Do you remember that, hon?" She tried once more for good measure.

"What about the animal? I think it was a dog." He shook his head. "It scratched my arm." He pointed to the spot. "And these aren't my clothes. The man that found me shot the dog with something. What happened to my friend?"

Elena could do nothing but stare for a moment as he fired off rapid questions. She knew she was missing some very crucial information when he kept going and resisted her third attempt to compel him.

 _At least he doesn't seem traumatized,_  she cleared her throat,  _and maybe he didn't see the shift._

"What are you Landon?" She countered his question with one of her own.

"What do you mean?" He tilted his head. "I'm a foster kid."

"That's not what I meant," Elena smiled softly. Holding up a finger she stood and walked to the door. Poking her head into the hall she motioned Lexa over and dropped her voice to a whisper.

"He's resisting it."

"Did your brother give him vervain?" Lexa glanced into the room when Elena shook her head. "He's been out for hours; any vervain that might have been in his system would have bled out in the woods. Only supernatural being can resist compulsion."

"Are you two talking about me?" Landon leaned over on the bed to get a better look at the woman in the hall.

"Of course," Elena smirked over her shoulder.

"What are you sweetie?" Lexa stepped into the bedroom with Elena.

"I already told Elena," he sighed. "I'm a foster kid. What's your name?"

"Lexa," she smiled. Glancing over her shoulder she breathed in a voice only Elena could hear. "At least he's not traumatized."

Elena shrugged one shoulder.

"That's not quite what she meant, Landon," Elena leaned against the nightstand.

"Then what do you mean?" He frowned.

"You're not human," Lexa smiled softly.

"Of course I am," his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "what else is there?"

"Well…" Elena and Lexa shared a look.

"There are many other things," Lexa reached for a book on the nightstand. Setting it on the bedspread she held out her hands and slowly rolled her wrists around in a lifting gesture.

The novel rose a foot above the mattress.

"Woah."

Lexa smirked and motioned with her finger tips, turning the pages. She took it as a good sign when he didn't scream.

"People can be different things Landon. I'm a witch." She nodded to Elena. "She's a vampire, and her brother's a vampire hunter."

"Aren't vampires supposed to be evil?" Landon turned to the brunette.

"Do you think I'm evil?" Elena countered.

He shook his head after looking into her eyes.

"You're too nice to be evil."

She couldn't stop her soft laugh. She sobered a moment later when she remembered the severity of the situation.

"Do you remember what happened to your friend?"

"Not really," he shook his head. "Everything's kind of fuzzy," he crossed his arms. "It happened really fast."

Elena perched on the edge of the bed.

"Your friend is a werewolf…"

"Why exactly are you telling him that?" Lexa frowned, dropping the book. It was one thing to reveal themselves, but another to bring up potentially terrifying memories.

"Because," Elena turned to the blonde, "he can't be compelled and he's not on vervain. That means he's supernatural, and that he can't go back in the system."

"I'm not like either of you," he shook his head. The thought of never going back into the foster system made him feel warm inside but he didn't think it would last.

"Maybe not like us," Elena smiled, "but you are something, and there is only one place that's safe for kids like you. I can't let you go there without knowing about your friend because your friend is there and it will be better for you to understand before you get there what happened… so you're not scared."

She saw the flicker of fear in his eyes when she explained gently what had happened to him.

"You want to send me there?" His eyes were round when he shook his head. "That doesn't sound safe."

"Listen, Landon," Elena placed a hand on his shoulder, "it's perfectly safe, I promise you that. What happened in the woods was an accident. Your friend didn't know what he was. He knows now and he'll have a safe place to wait out the full moon in the future. You'll be perfectly safe there. You won't be moved from one place to the next ever again, and I've got some friends there who will help figure out just what you are."

"What makes you think I'm anything?" He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

"Because you can't be compelled," Elena stood up.

"And only supernatural beings can't be compelled," Lexa added.

"Mmhmm," Elena nodded. "Now come on," she held out a hand. "You've got to be hungry."


	6. Chapter 6

It was late, or early depending on perspective. Any respectable city would have closed up shop an hour or so before, but much like Manhattan the French Quarter never slept.

She blamed the abundance of 'night' life.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Elijah glanced out the window to the large crowds that cluttered the streets.

"Perfectly," Lexa flipped a page in her notebook, "I ran a locator spell when we left Jeremy's house. You have no blood relatives in the city to avoid, so the chances of enacting Armageddon are slim to none." She scribbled down a few notes.

"I thought there was one," Elena turned down a side street at the behest of the GPS.

"One," Lexa agreed, "but your friend in Mystic Falls confirmed that the Mikaelson in residence is Freya. And Freya does not hold a piece of the Hollow."

"Freya might have the information you need," Elena turned right. She frowned down at the GPS when she was instructed to turn again a few seconds later.

"For anyone keeping track: that's the fourth right hand turn." Lexa closed her notebook. She leaned forward between the front seats and tilted her head. "We are going in a circle."

"Technically a square," Elijah smirked.

Elena rolled her eyes. She used her turn signal and pulled into a parking space along the street. Shutting down the vehicle she peered through the windshield at the hanging sign above the establishment's door.

"Think someone in Rousseau's can tell us where to go?" Lexa unfastened her seatbelt.

"I think any supernatural in the city could point out Freya Mikaelson," Elena nodded. She unfastened her seatbelt and opened the door.

* * *

The Abattoir proved easy enough to find, being a mere hop and skip from the restaurant. The gates were closed and the lights were out, but deep within the house the sound of a quiet conversation drifted.

"How's that little voice?" Elena tried the handle.

"It's no louder," he frowned. Tilting his head he tried the lock before lowering his hand.

"Do you think anyone would hear us knocking?" Lexa adjusted her bag and pushed a stubborn curl behind her ear. "Looks like everyone's asleep."

"Their awake," Elena shook her head.

Her knuckles rapped on the door, loud enough that she heard the echo from within.

His heart stuttered when the footsteps came towards him; the first member of his family that he would meet. He wondered what she was like, this sister that hadn't taken a piece of the Hollow.

Elena slipped her hand into his when she heard the stutter. He threaded their fingers together and squeezed just as the light came on.

A slim young woman with straight dark hair opened the door and froze. Her brown eyes widened before flickering from Elijah to Elena and down to their joined hands.

Elena thought she saw something dark flash in the woman's eyes, but it passed too quickly. There was a slight twist to her lips when she addressed them.

"What are you doing here?"

"We were looking for Freya," Lexa released a long breath. She looked the brunette over slowly when her eyes finally turned to look at her. "You're not her; you're not a witch."

"No, I'm not," she shook her head.

Elena tilted her head when the woman fell silent. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end whenever her eyes would stray to her or where she held Elijah's hand.

There was something about her face that looked familiar to Elena, but it took her a moment to figure it out and place the woman in her mind. She had only met her the one time nearly a decade before.

"You're Hayley," Elena lifted her chin slightly.

"And you're Katherine," she tilted her head.

"Elena," she felt her spine stiffen.

"Sorry," Hayley crossed her arms, "it's so hard to tell with you doppelgangers. You all look the same."

"And yet were nothing alike," Elena cocked an eyebrow.

Elijah frowned at the sudden tension percolating between the women on either side of the threshold. He cleared his throat in an attempt to break it and offered a charming smile.

"Is Freya here, Hayley?" He nodded to the compound.

Hayley tore her eyes from Elena and met Elijah's gaze.

There was a different kind of tension between them. He thought he saw anger and regret in her eyes; along with something else he couldn't quite identify.

"She's in the living room," Hayley stepped outside. "I've got a meeting."

Lexa tilted her head when Hayley vanished from their sight.

"Not even going to tell us where the living room is," she rolled her eyes.

"We can hear Freya's heart beating," Elena took a deep breath.

Inside they followed their ears to the dual heart beats and found a woman in a warm sitting room across from a tall man. He had a thin face and dark skin.

Freya stood when she saw them. Her mouth popped open in surprise.

"Elijah?" She stepped around the couch. "What are you doing here?"

"I had a few questions," he let go of Elena's hand and turned around to beckon to the blonde behind him. "Actually she had a few questions."

"Hi," she gave a small wave, "I'm Lexa."

Freya nodded politely. She had grown used to warmer welcomes from her little brother, but she had to remind herself that he had no idea who she was and didn't remember anything about his life. She could only assume someone had filled him in on the inner workings of his family; probably the brunette at his side.

"Lexa," Freya shook her hand. She turned her attention to the other woman. "And you are?"

"Elena," she offered her hand.

"I'm surprised Hayley didn't show you in," Freya let go.

"She seemed a little agitated," Elijah blinked.

Freya's eyes turned to him and took note of the way his body was angled toward Elena. They had been holding hands when they entered but even when they weren't she could see the attraction between them, and the way they seemed to gravitate towards each other was very telling.

"She might have been jealous," Freya beckoned them to the seats. "Before placing the Hollow in all of you, you and Hayley were together."

"Hayley and I?" Elijah frowned. He turned his head in time to see the surprise flickering through Elena's expression; she hadn't known.

"Yes," Freya sat down and crossed her legs, "the two of you broke things off because you had to leave." She turned her attention to Lexa. "You said you had questions."

"I did," Lexa leaned forward, "about the spell that extracted the Hollow from your niece and placed it in your siblings."

"Then you've come at the right time," Freya smiled. She motioned to the man she had been talking to before their arrival. "Vincent here was the one who cast the spell."

"You're the one who did it?" Lexa frowned. "You're the one who placed the Hollow in four people?" She sat up straight when Vincent nodded. "Great," she smiled. "Now tell me what you were possibly thinking?"

"Excuse me?" Vincent frowned.

"Sorry," Lexa shook her head, "that sounded rude. I didn't mean to be rude. I've just been puzzling over this for a while now. I just meant why would you put it in people when you could have had any vessel?"

"And then scattered those vessels to the four corners of the earth?" Vincent cocked an eyebrow.

"You could have placed boundaries around them to keep people from reaching them," Lexa nodded.

"I had thought of that," Vincent rubbed his beard. "That was my first suggestion when I found the spell and took the news to Hayley, but she wasn't convinced it was the best idea. She suggested the Originals as hosts so nobody would ever find the pieces."

Elena glanced at Elijah as his eyes widened marginally. Had he known?

Elijah shook off the surprise. He must have known and agreed to the plan. If he and Hayley were together before she would have told him about her idea.

"Can I see the spell?" Lexa lifted her eyebrows hopefully.

"Why?" Vincent tilted his head.

"Because I'm gonna put it somewhere else," Lexa shrugged.

"Where someone could find it?" Freya sat up straight. She felt the beginning strains of hope flutter in her chest.

"I guarantee that nobody will ever find it," Lexa reached into her bag, "and even if they did they would never be able to get it out of this."

Freya held out her hand to accept the small box. Her fingers traced the polished ebony and glittering runes. She could sense the perfect balance coming from the box and knew once sealed it would be nearly impossible to open again.

"You've sealed this with blood?" Freya glanced up.

"Elena's," Lexa nodded. "She's the last Petrova doppelganger and as such only her blood, willingly given, can open that box."

Freya nodded. She passed back the box and stood up to walk around the couch to the desk. She pulled open a drawer and took out a small bundle of pages before walking back and giving them to Lexa.

"Just like that?" Elena's brows lowered. She had been expecting a bit more of an argument.

"If there's the slightest chance I can save my niece the heartache that comes from growing up without her family, I'll do it."

* * *

Elena watched Lexa lay out the candles. She mirrored the young witch's actions until there was a large circle beneath the full moon. It gleamed off the water in the pond casting wavering reflections of light across their skin.

"Are you sure it's going to work this time?" Elijah knelt, lighting a few of the candles with a match.

"I didn't have enough power before," Lexa let three candles with a wave of her hand, "now I've seen the original spell, no pun intended," she smirked, glancing up, "and I know I need to draw on a few more things."

She unfolded the papers from Freya and pointed out a few symbols along the margins.

"Vincent drew on the full moon to seal the Hollow in you and your siblings," she tucked the papers aside and stepped into the circle, "and whether he knew it or not created a lock of sorts; kind of like the lock I put on the boxes, but the key is a lot easier to find."

"So you just need to draw on the full moon?" Elena placed the box in the damp grass and opened the lid.

"And you," Lexa took her place.

Elena rose from the grass and found she was situated between Lexa and Elijah in the middle of the circle. If they were to join hands they would have created a smaller circle within the ring of flickering candles.

"I'd like to channel your blood," Lexa held out her hand, "for little extra power."

Elena eyed the outstretched hand and shook her head, laughing softly. She should have known back when they started that it would come down to it.

"You're not gonna let me channel you?" Lexa frowned.

"Oh no, I am," Elena took her hand and reached for Elijah. "I'm just finding humor in the situation."

"What do you mean?" Elijah squeezed her hand.

"Just that I've gone full circle and am now back where I started years ago: supernatural pawn," she chuckled.

"I don't know about that," he shrugged. "A pawn is at the mercy of the higher players. It looks to me like you've got most of the power here."

"More like the queen," Lexa hummed.

"I don't know if I'd go quite that far," Elena shook her head.

"I don't know," he squeezed her hand, "I think the title suits you."

Lexa cleared her throat when she caught the way the two of them turned to look at each other. She cast her eyes heavenward to the full moon hanging heavy over their heads.

"Moon's at it's apex," she cocked an eyebrow. "It's either right now, or we wait a month."

She waited for Elena's nod before closing her eyes.

Elena's breath caught in her throat. Her skin tingled where she held their hands. Her heart pounded as her mind flashed back a decade to a different Mikaelson beneath the full moon. The only difference was the direction the energy was being drained from her body. Klaus had pulled her life out through her neck, but Lexa was pulling from her entire body. It seemed to pour from everywhere.

Her knees buckled and from the corner of her eyes she saw Elijah and Lexa fall with her until they were kneeling in the grass.

Lexa gritted her teeth against the ache in her mind and continued to chant. Opening her eyes she saw a blue glow just beneath Elijah's skin. One last pull from Elena and the energy pooled together and rose out of his mouth. Lexa let go of both of them and slammed the lid of the box shut before the Hollow could escape again.

Blue light pulsed beneath the seam.

Elena slumped in the grass with Lexa and watched. She held her breath as the blue glowed brighter and brighter. She reached out without looking and reclaimed Elijah's hand when the box rattled.

Lexa's arm trembled beneath the weight of her upper body, trying desperately to remain upright. She held out her other hand in, but she had no idea what she was going to do if the Hollow burst free since she could barely keep her eyes open.

Luck, however, appeared to be on their side. The blue energy was quickly overtaken by the blood of Elena that had infused the box. For a brief moment the seam between the top and bottom glowed violet before fading to the crimson sparkle that signified the locks were in place.

Elena breathed again when Lexa smiled and flopped over to lie on her back. She stared up at the moon and wiped away a drop of blood from her nose with a shaking hand.

"Did it work?" Elena whispered. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, but she turned them on Elijah as he straightened up.

He nodded after a moment when he found his mind free of the dark shadow that had been encroaching on his consciousness for the last few months since he'd woken up on the bus.

Elena smiled.

The uplift of her lips was weary but her eyes shone bright, and for a moment he thought the sun had risen, but then he caught a glimpse of Lexa who had all but fallen asleep in the grass.

* * *

"Aren't you tired?" Elena placed the box on the dresser by her makeup bag.

Elijah shook his head. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so much energy, the last time he had felt refreshed.

"I feel much better," he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He could feel the exhaustion beneath her skin and see it in her eyes.

"Lexa?" She met his eyes in the mirror.

"Asleep before her head hit the pillow," he kissed her cheek. Propping his chin on her shoulder he inhaled the sweet combination of her floral perfume and the blood beneath her skin. There was no voice in his head telling him to sink his teeth into her neck.

"She's tired," she said, sliding her palm over the back of his hand.

"She used a lot of magic tonight," he murmured, watching her eyes slide shut. "You should get some rest, Elena."

She took a deep breath and turned around to wrap her arms around his neck. Opening her eyes she searched his gaze for a moment before standing on tiptoe and pressing her lips to his.

Her blood quickened with the gentle kiss.

He slid his hands beneath her shirt, flattened his palms over her back and pulled her flush against him.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Elijah smoothed his palms along her sides until he was holding her hips and pulled away to rest his head against hers. Her warm breath fanned over his chin.

"You need some rest." He tightened his hold when she swayed in his arms.

"I know," Elena murmured. She could barely stay upright but she had wanted to kiss him at least once more. She didn't know what he had held with Hayley, but she knew he was not the casual type.

"Come on," he kissed her forehead.

"What are you doing?" She gasped when he picked her up.

"Putting you in bed," he tilted his head and smiled innocently.

She released a tired laugh when he set her on the mattress. She reached behind her back to unsnap her bra; she pulled the constricting material away and dropped it before reaching into the pocket of her shorts.

She ran her thumb over the length of the small vial before holding out her palm. A tiny voice in the back of her head, one that sounded suspiciously like Katherine, chastised her and told her what an idiot she was being.

 _He won't want you once he drinks it,_  it whispered.  _You'll just be one more doppelganger. If he doesn't go back to Hayley what Petrova will he see when he looks at you? It's never been you. Nobody ever chooses you._

"Here," she placed the lavender liquid in his hand. Her insecurities kept whispering all of the reasons why she should have kept the vial hidden, or thrown it in the Thames before they left London, but she ignored them. He wanted his memories back and she had no business taking the choice away from him; she'd lost her own agency for years and she wouldn't take it from someone else.

"Have you been carrying this in your pocket since London?" He glanced up from the potion.

"It was too valuable to leave lying around." Elena sighed. She struggled to keep her eyes open as he pushed her back gently to lie against the pillows.

He walked around to the other side of the bed and draped the blanket from the foot of the bed over Elena's body. He could hear the way her breathing leveled out as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Elena rolled over and felt the sun warm her skin. Paper crinkled beneath her curling fingers. Her eyes fluttered open.

A glance at the alarm clock showed her it was after noon.

She blinked away the sleep and sat up. Next to the alarm clock was the slim vial from Niamh and on the pillow beside her was a folded piece of paper.

She fiddled with the silver necklace around her throat and sat up, unfolding the paper to reveal the elegant handwriting she had seen only once before.

Her heart stuttered as her eyes traced the letters. She had to read it through three times before the words finally sank in and she could lower her hand from her throat.


	7. Chapter 7

Leaves, drained of their colour by the early hour, swirled in the air momentarily blotting out the setting quarter moon. The small shadows danced over the dark figure on the path.

The wind shifted carrying a flock of birds up into the air and the scent of her pursuer over the length of the path.

She spun on her heel when she heard the snap of a dry twig and lifted her hand.

A steel grip wrapped around her wrist before she could strike and she found herself staring up into familiar brown eyes.

She inhaled sharply, her mouth twisting over the taste of the floral perfume drifting from his clothes.

"Good morning, Hayley," his eyes shifted over her features, "we need to have a little chat."

* * *

He traced the ornate crest on his jacket and ignored the sound of chatter around him. Kids and teenagers milled about in every corner of the great room; some were sipping on smoothies, some were eating muffins pilfered from the dining hall, some were working on homework, but all of them had one thing in common; all of them save for him.

"You're supposed to wear that," a soft voice sounded at his elbow.

"I don't think it fits," he looked up at the girl.

"It'll fit perfect. Ca… Miss Forbes is really good at sizes." She took a seat on the couch as he took in her appearance: plaid skirt, dark blue blazer over a white blouse, a matching tie, and the crest over her left breast.

He tilted his head and read the title of her textbooks:  _Intro to Lycanthropy, Intro to Magical History_ and  _Chemistry of Magic;_  they were contradictory in terms. He nodded to her hands.

"Which are you? Why aren't you sitting with your friends?"

"I'm a few things," she followed his gaze. "The school likes to practice inclusion," she made air quotes with her fingers, "but it's still a school, and every school has cliques."

"Wolves, witches, and vampires," he nodded. Three distinct groups that he had yet to find a place in.

"Mmhmm," she nodded. "They're friendly enough, but I don't really fit in with any of them. They think I'm a…"

"A what?" He prompted when she trailed off.

"A freak," she shrugged as if it didn't bother her, "I'm the tribrid, part witch, and part wolf and part vampire. I don't fit in to a neat little category."

"At least you know what you are," he smiled. "I don't know that I'm anything."

"You must be something," she put her books on the coffee table, "otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"That's what Elena said," he sighed, falling back into his seat.

"I know Elena," she fingered the hem of her skirt, "she's friends with Car… Miss Forbes."

"You know the headmistress too," he tilted his head. "That's the second time you've almost called her by her name."

"She's kind of a friend," she shrugged. "She knows my dad, and she says her friend doesn't lie. If Elena thinks you belong here then you do."

"I'm not anything special though," he shook his head.

"She said you were," her eyes narrowed, "why would she say that if you weren't?"

"She said it because I couldn't be compelled," he turned the jacket over in his hands.

"Then you're something," she nodded. "Only supernatural beings can resist compulsion."

"But what am I?" He blinked. From the corner of his eye he saw his former foster brother with the wolf pack; they shared a room, but the pack had made it clear he wasn't a part of their circle.

"I don't know," she hopped up from the couch and grabbed her books, "but I can help you figure it out if you like."

"Don't you have something better to do than hang out with the new kid?" He picked up his jacket.

"Right now I have to go to class," she nodded to the small pile of textbooks, "and so do you."

He stood up and eyed the pile of books for his morning classes. There were the usual subjects he would have taken at a normal school along with the less common subjects he never considered existed; at least not outside of Hogwarts.

"Are you coming?" She hugged her books to her chest. Her eyes found the jacket still in his hand.

"I still don't think this fits," he lifted the material.

"It's just new," she smiled, "you're not used to it. Put it on and soon it will feel like something you've always worn."

He slipped his arms into the sleeves and settled the material over his shoulders; it felt foreign against his skin, but the way she nodded made him think it at least looked alright.

"See," she smirked, "perfect fit. I'm Hope by the way."

"Landon," he picked up his books.

She nodded and motioned for him to follow her down the hall towards the classrooms.

* * *

Elena ran the tip of her finger along the etched runes of the box, mindful of the sharp ridges that acted as canals for the glistening blood. The last thing she wanted to do was bring up a bead of blood that would unlock the box and unleash the evil inside on the world. It might only be a quarter of the original strength, but anything that could make Elijah lose control needed to remain locked away.

She peeked out the window at the rising sun and watched the light dance over her fingers. The ebony box seemed to glow in the morning light.

She sighed and turned her attention to the nightstand where she had placed his note. The heavy paper sat beside the empty vial in front of the alarm clock.

What time had he written it?

When had he left?

A sharp knock drew her out of her mind and towards the door. Sighing she stood up and opened the door.

"Morning," Lexa smiled brightly.

It took Elena a second to figure out how she was so cheerful. The source of her pep appeared to be the half-drunk latte in her hand. She accepted the second cup and hummed when the caffeine hit her system.

"That's just what I needed."

"I figured you'd want some coffee," Lexa grinned. She slipped into the room and looked around. "Where's Elijah?"

"He…" Elena fingered the lid of her cup and glanced at the note. "He had to do something."

"No matter," Lexa waved her hand and reached for the box on the table. "I don't actually need him for this next bit. I don't really need you for that matter."

"Thanks?" Elena tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.

"I thought you might like to watch though," Lexa gave a quiet laugh. "What do you say? Do you wanna watch me banish this bitch to the Ancestral plain?"

"Sounds like the best way to start the day," she wrapped her fingers around the takeaway cup.

"I thought that was sex," Lexa tipped up her cup, finishing the last dregs of her latte.

"Oh no," Elena shook her head, smirking. "The best way to start the day is banishing an evil bitch to another plain, followed by sex, and finally coffee."

"Hmm," Lexa nodded thoughtfully, tilting her head. "I agree with your list."

* * *

"So you're obviously not a vampire," Hope took a seat in the middle of the room, "that leaves werewolf or witch."

"Wouldn't I know if I was a werewolf?" Landon fiddled with his pencil as the other students filed in.

"Your friend didn't," Hope nodded to where Rafael was entering the room. He walked down the aisle and slid into the desk on the other side of Landon.

"What are we talking about?"

"You," Landon rolled his eyes to the side, "not knowing you were a werewolf. You didn't, right?"

"Not until I got here and Mr. Saltzman explained," Rafael shook his head. "Who's your new friend?"

"Raf this is Hope, Hope," he motioned to the desk, "this is Raf."

"Hope?" Rafael frowned. "Hope? I've heard your name before. You're the…"

"Tribrid," Hope crossed her arms over the desk.

"She's gonna help me figure out what I am," Landon flipped open his book when the teacher walked in.

"And she's thinking wolf?" He glanced around Landon.

"It's a possibility," Hope whispered back, "my mom didn't know she was a wolf either until she triggered it, and neither did my dad. Could be an untapped witch too," she shrugged.

"All kinds of possibilities," Landon grinned.

* * *

Caroline shuffled through the pile of papers littering her desk. During her short European excursion the inbox had flooded. She sifted through the bills, student discipline notices, and upcoming events in the town. She organized them into neat piles and subcategories. The discipline slips took the most time.

There had been aggression from the wolves in the days before the full moon. The witches had instigated a magical prank war that had ended with one of the dorms being lit on fire and another covered in a hot pink substance that stuck to everything.

Finally there were the new student notices; two in the last few weeks.

She picked up the phone when it vibrated.

"Salvatore Boarding School."

_"Wow, do you answer the phone like that all the time?"_

"Only when I don't bother to check the ID," she grinned. "What's up Elena?"

_"I just wanted to check in. Jeremy dropped off a new student the other day and I wanted to know how he was settling."_

Caroline picked up the student files.

"Would that be Rafael Waithe or Landon Kirby?"

_"Landon; I met him a few days ago."_

"I've only just gotten back, so I haven't gotten to know him yet, but according to the psych evaluation he's adjusting slowly."

_"That's to be expected, I think. He doesn't know what he is."_

"Rest assured we'll find out." Caroline wheeled her chair towards the filing cabinet. It didn't seem to matter how old she got; wheeled office chairs were fun at any age.

_"Are you wheeling around your office?"_

"You know me too well," she snickered.

_"I do at that. How was Europe? That's where you were, right?"_

"Yeah," she sighed, filing the papers, "it was nice. I hunted down Klaus and gave him an earful, and then I stood there to make sure he went through with calling Hope."

_"You know where Klaus is?"_

"I know where he was," Caroline frowned. "Are you going to pull a Katherine and spend the next half of the millennium avoiding him?"

_"Hahaha."_

"You know I'm kidding," she used her foot to sway in a circle. "You are nothing like Katherine Pierce. Katherine wouldn't have sounded so eager when I mentioned Klaus' name."

_"I just need to find him, Care. At some point in the near future."_

"Got a thing for the Hybrid now?" Her eyes narrowed.

_"Oh, you sound jealous."_

"Am not!" The denial came too quickly eliciting a laugh from her friend.

_"I don't have a thing for Klaus. I have something for him, or rather… I want to take something from him."_

"You're a thief now?" Caroline tilted her head.

_"Believe me; he will willingly part with this."_

"I haven't heard from him in a bit, but if I speak with him again I'll be sure to tell him you're looking for him."

_"Thanks Care. Now tell me: how are the girls?"_

"Blissfully unaware of what's lurking in the future." Her voice turned bitter.

_"No luck finding a solution then?"_

"Nothing," she shook her head before remembering Elena couldn't see her.

_"I'm still looking too, but I haven't found anything yet."_

"Thank you for looking," she raked a hand through her hair.

_"Of course. What's the point of eternity if I can't use my limitless time to help my friends?"_

"You have a tendency to help everybody," Caroline rolled her eyes.

_"I like helping people. Speaking of…"_

Caroline heard the sound of her hair rustling as she turned her head to look at someone else in the room with her. The other side of the conversation was too indistinct for her to make out telling her the other person was a good distance from the phone.

_"I gotta go."_

She hung up the phone and lifted her gaze when the door swung open. A broad smile spread over her cheeks when she saw her visitors and the small pile of mail they had used as an excuse to come barging into her office.

Caroline dropped onto her knees and wrapped her arms around the twins as they barreled into her. She pressed several quick kisses to the tops of their heads and pulled back to give them her sternest look, but her eyes were sparkling.

"What do you two think you're doing?"

"We brought you the mail," Josie held out the handful of envelopes.

"Ah yes," Caroline took the thick stack, "and as everyone knows that's a two person job."

"It's a really heavy stack," Lizzie nodded solemnly.

"And now that you've brought me the mail you'll be heading back to class," Caroline cocked an eyebrow.

"Can't we play hooky and hang out with you?" Lizzie pouted.

"Please, mom?" Josie clasped her hands in front of her and mirrored her sister's expression.

It took all of her will-power to shake her head. She stood up and steered them around by their shoulders towards the door.

"Unfortunately no," she smiled when they looked up at her, "you have to go to class, but I'll tell you what…" she bit her lip when they grinned, "… tonight the three of us are going to hang out."

"Movie night?" Josie blinked innocently.

"What movie?" Caroline nodded her assent.

"Willie Wonka?" Lizzie smiled hopefully.

"I know what you're after," she tweaked Lizzie's nose, "junk food."

"You can't watch Willie Wonka without candy, mom," Josie twisted her hips back and forth so her skirt swayed.

"It's just not right," Lizzie agreed.

"Willie Wonka it is," Caroline pretended to hand her head before nodding her assent. She sent the grinning girls on their way and turned back to the new pile of mail. She was going to toss it on the desk when she recognized the handwriting on the first envelope.

She tore into it and perched on the desktop.

_Dearest Caroline,_

_I never thanked you for coming to knock some sense into me, and you are now in a place that will not allow for a face to face conversation._

_I've sent you a gift to express my gratitude; the name of a witch who might be able to help you in your current predicament. I know you didn't tell me about it, but I'm no fool; I knew the Gemini several centuries ago._

_I do look forward to thanking you in person someday._

_However long it takes._

_Yours,_

_Klaus_

She reached into the envelope and extracted a folded piece of paper. Her eyes narrowed when she read the block letters spelling out a name and address; hope fluttered in her chest.

* * *

She held her breath as the spell started and the room around them faded from view. For a moment the world was white and then the room came back into focus. The only difference was an eerie glow cast by the twilight and the absence of electricity.

"What happened?" Elena's voice echoed in the suite, seeming to bounce off of thin air.

"We're in the ancestral plain," Lexa whispered. Her voice still carried though.

"What now?" Elena lifted the box from the floor between them.

"Now we hide it," she smirked.

"We can't just leave it?" Elena cocked an eyebrow.

"We could," Lexa nodded, "but where's the fun in that? If you had a choice of final resting place where would it be?"

"Bottom of the ocean," she said without missing a beat.

"We're a little short on oceans," Lexa shook her head. They were limited to where they could travel on foot. "How about the Mississippi?"

* * *

"Why did you do it?" He released her wrist before he gave in to his urge to squeeze and break the bone.

"Do what?" Hayley lowered her hand.

"You told Vincent to place the Hollow in us."

"I didn't…" her heart jumped.

"Don't lie to me," his expression hardened. "He told us as much last night. He also revealed that he knew there was a better way; one that wouldn't tear this family apart."

"I did what I had to do," she went poker-faced.

"No, you didn't," he shook his head, "that's the whole point. You came to this decision on your own and ripped Niklaus from his child in the process. There was another way and you knew it."

"I had to," her teeth gritted, "he would have ruined her given half a chance."

His eyes widened; he must have been truly blind not to have seen it sooner. How many times had she tried to take Hope away? How many times had he played mediator between the hot headed parents?

"Danger and death follows your family wherever it goes," her mouth twisted. "I did what I needed to in order to create a safe home for her."

"Somehow I doubt Niklaus will see it the same way." He lifted his chin when he saw the fear flash through her eyes. "She's not even here; you have her enrolled at boarding school."

"Are you going to tell him?" She crossed her arms; a muscle in her jaw twitched.

"I should," he took a step back, "but I won't."

"Thank you…" her sigh of relief was cut off.

"Don't thank me," he shook his head and pointed a finger at her. "I have killed people for lesser offences, and Niklaus would kill you in an instant. The only reason you are still drawing breath is Hope."

He turned on his heel and started back down the path.

"Elijah," she called after him, "where are you going?"

He paused and drew in a calming breath before looking back over his shoulder. He didn't dare turn around for fear he would do something he'd regret, like divest Hope of her mother.

"I'm going to clean up the mess you made." He turned back to the path and heard her heart skip a beat. "I'm going to reunite my family."

Her cold voice had him freezing in his tracks.

"You're going to need help for that," her hands found her hips. "The witch and the doppelbitch," her brows rose when he turned back around. "I've had eyes on you since I found out you were in town; it's pretty clear you're at a standstill on your own."

"What have you done?" His muscles locked up with rage. She said nothing and he turned and raced into the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

Elena’s eyes popped open as she snapped back into her body. For a moment she wasn’t sure what to make of the smell flooding the room, but then she registered it as blood.

The red liquid was seeping into the carpet and only stopped by the protective circle of salt surrounding them.

She looked around the room as she was pulled to her feet and bloody hands started to run over her extremities.

“What the…”

Lexa stood on shaky legs and surveyed the mess. Wood lay in splinters all around the circle of salt, coated in crimson blood. She swallowed a thick lump in her throat and tore her eyes away from when looked suspiciously like internal organs tossed down beside the three corpses.

“Elijah!” Elena grabbed his wrists to stop him from feeling her throat. “What is going on? Why are there three dead people in here?”

“Hayley sent a little welcome party.” He glanced at Lexa to ensure she was alright before running his eyes over Elena’s throat.

“So you killed them?” Lexa nudged a man’s shoulder with her toe. She found herself glad she had taken the time to create a barrier around them. It was probably the only thing that had kept the wood from reaching Elena.

“Before they could kill you,” he nodded. “Are you hurt?”

“Nope,” she shook head. “I’m just covered in blood.”

* * *

 

Elena dropped her bag on the motel bed. She would have flopped down beside it if not for the pungent smell of gasoline covering her clothes. She tucked her hair behind her ears and eyed the blood stains over her sleeves.

“Are you thinking about running for the hills?” Elijah leaned against the nightstand.

“Haven’t we established that I have no sense of self-preservation?” She teased. “If I was going to run I would have don’t it by now. I am however, considering burning these clothes; blood and gasoline are not the best combination.”

“Sorry about that,” he nodded to her sleeves. “I was momentarily convinced you had been bitten.”

Elena nodded. She had figured he was looking for some sort of mark indicating poison when he pulled her to her feet.

“You left this morning,” she turned around to face him. The morning felt like a million years ago.

“I needed some answers,” he took a step towards her, “and I would have woken you but you looked so peaceful.”

“I was hoping to be back before you woke up.” He reached out, smoothing away the line between her brows.

“I have a question,” she bit her lip. “Why did Hayley send assassins?”

His expression hardened when he thought of what could have happened. He knew the only reason they had still been alive when he arrived was Lexa’s protection spell. He took a deep breath and met Elena’s eyes.

“The other night,” he stroked his thumb over her cheekbone, “when Vincent revealed his reasoning to Lexa I assumed I had known before.”

“You didn’t,” Elena guessed.

“I did not,” he nodded. “She lied to all of us and I wanted to know why.”

“And did you find out?” She tilted her head. Beneath the rage in his eyes she saw the ghost of betrayal.

“I found out,” he nodded, “she did it on purpose. She tore my family apart, Elena, and she was going to kill you to ensure they stayed apart.”

“They’re not going to stay that way,” she flattened her palm over his heart and offered a small smile. “Lexa should have her full strength back by the time we get to San Francisco.”

A lump formed in her throat when he covered her hand with his. The age old question surfaced in her mind when he met her eyes: _who do you see?_

“Have I thanked you, Elena?” He listened to her heart skip a beat.

“For what?” She frowned.

“Oh, that should be obvious,” he took a small step closer. “You came to my aid when I was alone, and abandoned your entire life to help me and my family, who you hate.”

“I don’t hate them,” she inhaled slowly through her mouth.

“There’s no love lost between you,” he smirked. His expression sobered a second later. “Why did you agree to all of this?”

“They’re your family,” she shrugged. “What?” She tilted her head when he chuckled.

“I was right,” he hummed, “about your compassion. I have a confession to make.”

“Oh?” She froze in anticipation of what was to come. He had always been honest with her. Was he about to tell her he was madly in love with one of her predecessors? She supposed it would be better to hear it at the beginning rather than find out because he was subconsciously trying to change her.

“Yes,” he nodded, lowering her hand from his chest. “I knew.”

“You knew?” She frowned. What had he known?

“I knew it was you,” he loosened his hold on her hand, “in Willoughby.”

“You knew…” the blood rushed from her face, “… before you…”

The confirmation was there in his eyes; he had known the second he saw her pacing in the gazebo.

He waited, half expecting her to slap him for his brazen actions nearly a decade before, but the blow didn’t come.

“Why did you… if you knew…?” Her mouth opened and closed a few times.

“Because,” he inhaled slowly, ignoring the gas still clinging to her, “I had wanted to kiss you for months, and I didn’t think I’d ever get the chance again. I’m sorry; I took advantage of the situation.”

“You were with Katherine,” she shook her head slowly. “You were…”

“As foolish as your Salvatores,” he cleared his throat, “thinking someone else could take your place –“

She cut him off by standing on her toes and pressed her mouth to his in a sound kiss. She gave him no time to speak in the space between kisses.

His tongue slid between her lips and explored before he pulled back and left a peck against her mouth.

“And here I thought you were going to hit me,” he pressed his forehead to hers.

“Maybe later,” she breathed and felt him shake with laughter against her. “Got anything else to confess?”

“Not at the moment,” he shook his head.

They both heard his heart skip a beat, but neither mentioned it; it was the unspoken thing. Deep down they both knew what it was but they weren’t quite prepared to say it.

“Really,” she cocked an eyebrow, “you’re not gonna tell me I stink?”

“I can’t smell anything beyond myself at the moment,” he smirked.

“Yeah,” she smirked, eyes twinkling, “you do stink.”

“Are you sure that’s not you?” He teased.

“How dare you?” She gasped, holding a hand to her heart. “I smell amazing, or I will very soon.”

She smirked before flashing out of his arms and into the bathroom.

He rolled his eyes before stepping inside behind her as the ruined shirt hit the tile. He pressed her back to his chest when she started the shower.

“Who said you could shower first?” He spun her around and pressed his arms against her bare back.

“I got here first,” she smiled innocently.

“It’s a shame that’s not the way the world works,” he blinked. The tips of his fingers grazed her spine and she shivered.

“It is,” she nodded. She grasped the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it up and over his head.

“Is this for the burn pile?” She tilted her head.

“I’m pretty sure everything we were wearing today needs to be burnt.” He smirked.

“I find I have to agree,” she wiggled from his arms and threw the shirt down, “it’s so hard to get the smell of gas and burning bodies out.”

She striped off the rest of her clothes and stepped into the steam. Her knees weakened when he stepped in behind her.

She didn’t say anything as he urged her forward under the spray. The water clung to her skin, soaked through her hair and raised a flush on her chest; though the flush had more to do with the soft shampoo he was massaging into her scalp.

She tipped her head back and felt the water rinse from her hair. She reached for a washcloth when his fingers ran through her clean hair and added soap.

He brushed his lips along her jaw and groaned when she pulled back and sank to her knees. The water beat down on his chest when her body was no longer blocking the majority of the spray.

His breath hitched when she ran the cloth up one leg and down the other. She paid close attention to every inch of skin, rubbing maddening circles over his thighs and completely avoiding his straining erection. She stood and moved her attention to his arms before running the cloth around his back and over his chest, working until only the faint smell of gasoline clung to her skin.

She gasped when he pushed her into the wall and tore the washcloth from her fingers.

“You are a tease,” he murmured against her throat.

“I can’t believe you’d accuse me of that,” she bit her bottom lip. She nearly drew blood when he began massaging her shoulders.

He bent and drew her lip into his mouth while washing her back. He swallowed her moan when he ran the cloth over the curve of her behind and between her cheeks.

Her hips rolled forward without her consent, and his erection grazed her stomach. She could barely breathe when he moved around to her front, and there was no hope for her sanity when he knelt and washed her legs and feet.

“You call me a tease,” she groaned as the cloth dipped between her legs. She could smell her arousal over the soap.

“You know what they say about things going around,” he smirked.

“How much am I going to have to endure?” She rolled her eyes and sighed. She felt certain she would combust if she wasn’t touched soon.

“Are you desperate?” He leaned in and kissed her naval.

“I’m pretty sure you can smell how desperate I am,” she raked her nails through his hair.

He nodded once, dropped the cloth and hooked her leg over his shoulder. The scent of her arousal was intoxicating and only her earlier teasing had given him the will to wash every inch of her without sneaking a taste.

There was a hollow ache between her thighs that begged for relief. He didn’t hesitate before answering it.

Her hips arched and twisted as his tongue trailed through her folds. She groaned and rocked and pressed his face closer. She didn’t stop to wonder at what point he had learned the ins and outs of her body, she was too busy climbing; her body tensed when he applied a series a flicks to her clit and slipped two fingers into her dripping center.

A soft cry fell from her lips as she fell and the pleasure closed over her head. She was still panting when he stood and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her head tipped to the side when he began licking and nipping the column of her throat.

She gave a small jump at the urging of his hands and closed her legs around his waist. She shivered as the water turned cold and pressed her lips to his in a long kiss.

His hand reached blindly for the shower nob to cut off the flow.

Her fingers slid between their bodies and wrapped around his cock.

He groaned as she lined him up and sank down; her slick skin sliding against his chest as she shimmied and buried him in her body.

He flashed out of the steam filled bathroom without breaking them apart and pushed her down on the nearest flat surface.

Elena moaned when he began to move. One hand curled around the back of his neck and the other gripped the edge of the table for support, lifting her hips to meet him thrust for thrust.

She tightened her grip around his waist and arched her back. Breaking from his mouth she nipped along his jaw and dragged her blunt teeth down his throat. The smell of his rich blood, less than an inch from her fangs, made her mouth water.

She swallowed the desire to sink her teeth into his throat and settled for working the fluttering pulse point with her lips and tongue. His hips snapped a little harder when her teeth teased the spot.

He knew exactly what she was craving. For weeks he had been craving the same thing, and he had refrained for fear of hurting her with his weakened control.

He was in control again, at least he felt in control.

“Go ahead.” He tilted his head to give her better access to his throat and squeezed the back of her thigh.

Elena hesitated, for a moment Stefan’s voice echoed in her mind. _Blood sharing is personal._ She had never bitten another vampire because of his words; she had never felt the desire, but now her entire body was craving him.

“Are you sure?” She murmured against his throat. Belatedly she realized her capillaries were throbbing; she was almost embarrassed to pull back where he could see, but she did.

Her breath caught when she saw his eyes. It was so rare that she saw his vampire features, but she could see them now. His eyes were flooded with red and the veins beneath pulsed in time with his pounding heart.

His nod had the coil in her belly tightening. She moved as fast as she could and pushed him down on the bed, knocking the bag away and sinking back on his cock.

He bit his lip to keep from swearing when she moved, rolling her hips up and down while bending down and nipping at that pulse point again. He bucked up and groaned when her teeth sank into his throat.

He grasped her hips and thrust up, meeting her motions.

She could barely focus when the blood flooded her mouth. The liquid acted as the sweetest of ambrosia pushing her over the edge into ecstasy. She didn’t even notice when he flipped her over and hooked her legs high around his waist.

Eventually though, she had to breathe and pulled her teeth free. She nodded when he slid his hand over the column of her throat and swiped his thumb over her carotid artery.

She arched her neck and braced herself for the sting she was sure she was about to feel, but it never came. His fangs slid into her skin as if finding a home.

She brought her own teeth back down, certain she was nowhere near as neat as he was, and pierced his neck again.

She couldn’t describe the emotions that washed over her when they were joined in both places, and she didn’t try; instead she lost herself in the rhythm of their undulating bodies and the influx of emotion running back and forth until she wasn’t sure where the affection began and ended.

Her mind was still reeling when they were laying side by side exchanging soft kisses and fighting not to voice the thing they both wanted to say in spite of how right it felt.

“Elena,” he breathed against her cheek.

“Elijah,” she hummed against his jaw.

They didn’t have to say it; it was reflected in their eyes.

She wanted to say the words on the tip of her tongue, but they were words she hadn’t uttered in years. She wondered how long it had been since he had said them, and if those were the words she saw along the curve of his lip.

“How did you know it was me?” She asked instead. “I even had Rebekah fooled for a bit there.”

“I know you, Elena,” he trailed his knuckles down her spine. “I’d know you anywhere.”

“But how?” She propped her chin on his chest.

“It’s in the eyes,” he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Your compassion shines from your eyes.”

“I didn’t even have emotions at the time,” she drew abstract patterns over his chest.

“Even without them you could never match her for cruelty,” he shook his head. “And no amount of indifference could ever temper your compassion.”

“How the hell do you know that?” A line appeared between her brows.

“Because of Rebekah,” he moved her damp hair over her shoulder, “you didn’t need her to find the cure. You didn’t have to make that deal. You could have found it and destroyed it, but you knew she wanted it.”

“She always wanted it,” Elena shrugged. “Why destroy something that could do some good?”

“Why do something kind when you don’t care?” He countered.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've had a time jump.

She couldn't remember the last time she had been truly frustrated, but attempting to locate an Original vampire in a sea of thousands was proving frustrating to say the least.

"You'd think a thousand year old vampire would be easier to find," Lexa flopped down on the couch.

"Kol has a tendency to disappear when he wants to," Elijah glanced at the map. She had been trying different locator spells of increasing strength over the last few days when it became clear their calls and emails were not going through.

"Why would he?" Elena sipped a mug of hot blood. "It's not like he's got anyone to hide from… does he?"

"Maybe he got a witch to shield him," Lexa hummed. She tilted her head and looked up at the ceiling.

"Still begs the question of why?" Elena frowned.

"He has no reason to hide, and he lacks Niklaus' paranoia," he sighed. His finger circled around the burnt out area of the map that was the city.

Lexa rubbed her temples and closed her eyes to concentrate. They snapped open a few minutes later.

"You said the Hollow reacted to its other parts?"

"Killed some plants," Elena nodded, "but that was when you," her eyes turned to Elijah, "and Rebekah were close to each other."

"What if it can sense what happens from a distance too?" Lexa cocked an eyebrow. "What if it knows we wiped out a quarter of its being?"

She saw the moment they caught on.

"Davina isn't hiding him," Elijah looked at the map.

"The hollow is," Lexa nodded.

"So what do we do?" Elena tucked her hair behind her ears. "The full moon rises in fourteen hours."

"We look for him," Elijah reached for a new map, "the old fashioned way."

* * *

They had spent nearly an hour examining the different maps before narrowing the search down to three districts of San Francisco where Kol might have taken up residence. Part of Elena hoped she wasn't the one to locate him simply because he was the kill first ask questions later type, and since they had never gotten through to him he wouldn't see her as someone there to help him; he'd see her as the woman responsible for his first death.

She made a mental note to apologize for that when she did cross his path. She owed him that and more.

She tipped her head back and counted the strings of lanterns that hung between buildings. They would be lit soon and illuminate the streets.

She recognized a few of the characters printed on the awnings and signs but most of it was complete gibberish to her. She added Mandarin to the list of languages she wanted to learn; it wasn't like she didn't have the time.

Her heels clicked out an even rhythm over the pavement as she moved from the street full of tourists towards the heart of Chinatown. According to the internet research she had done during the commute it was the oldest Chinatown in North America and one of the most historic neighborhoods in the city. Both facts made the area ideal for someone like Kol.

What the internet hadn't mentioned was the magical presence in the area. Elijah had been the one to bring that to her attention. He told her his brother had a habit of running with witches and that made Chinatown a likely spot for him to settle.

He had known of a bar that catered to the supernatural, having visited the city nearly thirty years prior. That was where she was headed. It took a little searching and the help of an older Chinese woman who spoke in broken English but eventually she located the hole in the wall.

Thankfully the bartender spoke English. When she got closer she caught the unmistakable scent of werewolf.

"Hi," she hopped on a stool, flashing a bright smile.

"Sure you wanna go there," his eyes darted to her daylight ring, "that could be dangerous for you."

Elena flushed and cleared her throat, dampening her smile to something less likely to be misinterpreted.

"Only on a full moon," she leaned back, "and I'm actually involved. I just thought you might be able to help me."

"Oh," he went back to wiping down the counter.

"I'm looking for somebody," she reached for her cell phone, "and in your position you seem like the most likely person to help."

He glanced at the screen. She knew what he saw: a picture of Kol. It was actually a photo of the entire family taken several months ago but she had zoomed in until only he was in the picture.

"He the boyfriend?" He looked up to her eyes.

"Boyfriend's brother," Elena tilted the phone closer. "Have you seen him anywhere?"

"Sorry," he shook his head, "I can't help you."

Her shoulders sagged and she sighed.

"Don't suppose there's another spot around here that caters to the supernatural?"

"Nope."

* * *

"Hello?" He took the bag of herbs from the clerk, balancing his phone between his ear and shoulder.

_"Someone's looking for you?"_

"Who?" He stepped out into the light and turned down the street with a sense of urgency lingering at the back of his neck. It had been there for a few weeks, urging him to hide. He had never felt the need to conceal himself from anyone. He had never been paranoid of anything but his brother and a wooden box, so he didn't quite understand where his emotions were coming from, but he did know what they were telling him.

_"Some chick… didn't get her name: average height, curly hair."_

"I'll be on the lookout."

* * *

Nob Hill had proven to be a bust. He thought that was the word Elena or Lexa might have used, but he wasn't sure since he was a little behind on slang.

It didn't matter though because there was no sign of Kol anywhere in the district.

* * *

Lexa adjusted her sunglasses and slipped between two large groups that blocked the sidewalk, pausing to take in a mural on the city wall.

If she had the time she would have gladly spent hours combing through the district that was San Francisco's oldest neighborhood. It was the perfect mix of old and new.

That was the thing that had made it a contender for Kol. Elijah had said his brother preferred older areas, but his girlfriend had slightly different tastes. He told her Davina was roughly her age and that she loved art and music.

Mission District just happened to be teeming with galleries and the largest concentration of murals in San Francisco. There was also an amazing music scene.

Lexa thought it paled in comparison to the culture of New Orleans, but it was close; like a home away from home. It definitely wasn't home though, and she thought Davina must be much weaker here than she was in Louisiana without the flow of ancestral magic that had fueled her for so long. Perhaps she was learning how to draw on nature instead, but that would still take her years to master.

That was the reason she figured Davina wasn't the one hiding Kol from them; because she didn't have the power anymore.

She spotted what she was looking for a few seconds later and smiled. The symbol hung over a small herb shop; it was the same one on her necklace. It was the one that connected all witch covens and known only to those who were members. Tiny shops like the herbalist across the street existed all over the world and she had been watching for one since entering the city. If she was lucky someone inside would know of Kol or Davina.

She must have been really lucky though because before she could cross the street a man stepped out with a phone to his ear; a man who bore a striking resemblance to Elijah.

* * *

Somebody was following him. He could feel the eyes on the back of his neck causing a bead of sweat to roll down his spine in what he labeled irrational fear. There were only two things in the world that could kill him, so his fear was irrational because he could handle whoever was tailing him through the streets.

The wind shifted and he ducked into a narrow side street with every intention of dispatching the woman that followed him. He assumed it was a woman because very few men bathed in lavender.

She paused at the entrance where he had disappeared and looked around, confusion written in the tension of her shoulders. The wind blew her blond curls and sent a fresh wave of lavender to his nose.

There was a sharp sting as his canines descended and the hunger set in. A small voice whispered in the back of his head.

She gasped when he grabbed her arm and spun her into the cool brick wall behind a downed awning. Her eyes traced his face and her heart skipped a beat. She swallowed around the hand holding her throat.

He frowned when she showed no other signs of fear and closed his eyes for a second, attempting to drown out his instinct. He was trying to be better, and though she would never know if he killed this woman he would. His fingers tightened as he fought a losing battle but the second he shifted from a light hold to one that would potentially bruise pain bloomed behind his eyes.

He dropped to his knees, clutching his head. It stopped as soon as it started and he looked up to see her watching him with a quirked eyebrow. Instinct was telling him to slaughter her before she opened her mouth but he couldn't move.

"Tell me if I'm right, okay?" She bent her knees until she was on the ground in front of him.

"You've been following me for three blocks," his eyes narrowed, "and you've paralyzed me, so why would I tell you anything?"

"I didn't want to cause a scene in the streets, and I only paralyzed you because you were starting to hurt me." She ran a fingertip over her throat as evidence. There was a misshapen red line and darker spots where his fingers had left bruises.

_Kill her._

"You're gonna listen, and tell me how much I get right," she crossed her arms. She leaned a little closer.

_Tear out her throat._

He nodded, not quite sure which voice he was listening to.

"You don't trust me." She tilted her head. "That is really stupid because you don't even know me. Am I right? Why would you distrust someone you just met?"

He gave a pointed look to his immobile arms.

"Something is telling you not to trust me," she went on, "maybe even to kill me. Am I right?"

A line appeared between his brows. The voice in his head was practically shrieking now.

"I have a strong urge to rip out your throat," he admitted with narrow eyes.

"That is the reason you shouldn't," she smirked.

Her eyes twinkled with amusement and his heart skipped a beat.

"And why is that?" He looked her over. There was something about the shape of her mouth that he found enticing.

"You hesitated." She leaned closer; close enough that he could have moved his head to sink his teeth into her carotid artery, killing her in seconds.

He didn't move.

"That itty bitty little voice," she backed up with a small grin, "is not yours. I saw that struggle, you might think I didn't because it happened so fast but I did. You were not the one pinning me to the wall, and you were not the one that wanted to kill me."

_Kill her!_

"Then who was?" He smirked. Over the centuries he had perfected the look of mania and it reflected in the look he gave her: the grin of a mad man.

"The Hollow," she cocked an eyebrow when he clenched his jaw, "yes I know about that. There is a quarter of the Hollow inside of you and it's screaming at you telling you to tear me apart. Are you curious why?"

"How do you know about that?" He leaned back, noticing for the first time that he had been released from her spell. He didn't take advantage of it to act on the shrieks in his head.

"I've met some of your family."

"You're hoping to save your neck by bringing up my family?" He scoffed. "I couldn't care less about my family, darling."

"You're lying," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're lying because it's easier to tell yourself that than to accept the truth."

"What is the truth?" He ignored the cell phone in his pocket when it began to vibrate.

"You love your family, you would do anything for your family, and you miss your family." She knew she had hit a nerve when his jaw ticked. "It's easier for you to say you don't care when you know you can't be near any of them again. Wouldn't you rather have a choice? Wouldn't you prefer to avoid your family because you want to, and not because you have to?"

"You've got a sharp tongue," he looked her up and down. Her words had cut through him. "Who the bloody hell are you?"

She smirked, something akin to triumph flashed in her green eyes as she got to her feet. She bent slightly and tipped up his chin with the tip of her finger; a jolt raced up her arm at the contact.

Electricity traveled from her finger straight to his heart.

"I'm the witch that excised the Hollow from your brother," her breath caught in her throat when he met her eyes. "And I'm the witch that's going to do it again."

He didn't realize he was going to do it until his fingers were around her wrist. His hold was delicate despite the voice screamed in his ear and the instinct to rip her to shreds.

"I was hoping more for your name."

"I'll make you a deal," she tipped her head up when he stood, "you can have my name later tonight. All you have to do is meet me at the Japanese Tea Garden ten minutes before the full moon reaches its apex this evening."

"Why should I meet you?" His thumb ran over the delicate veins in her wrist.

"For your exorcism silly," she smiled. "It's gotta be done under the full moon because when the Hollow was put in you it was sealed by the full moon. I'm going to take it out, lock it up and banish it to another realm. Easy peasy, and if you want you can start planning the family reunion."

"If it's so easy then why didn't the witches in New Orleans do it?"

"It was the obvious choice," she took a small step closer, her chest brushed his when she took a deep breath, "and they did think of it, but someone decided to take advantage of your misfortune and force Klaus away from his child."

"Who would do that?" He frowned at the look she gave him and knew. "Hayley?" He shook his head and met her eyes. "How did you find out about all of this?"

"If you want to know meet me tonight?" She slipped from his grasp and felt his eyes tracking her progress through the alley. "Japanese Tea Garden… moonrise."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... so the plan is this: one part for each Mikaelson. We've read part one already: the Elijah chapters. Now we're in part 2: Kol. I'm thinking it'll be 1-2 chapters for the Originals from now on plus any extra chapters that I put in. Maybe one in between each section. So between Kol and Elijah was the Elejah smut chapter.
> 
> All in all this story should have anywhere from 7-8 chapters longer.
> 
> There is a month between each exorcism because the Originals can't be near each other while the hollow is in them. That means the story itself takes place over a period of five months. It took two months from meeting Elena for them to get the hollow out and a month between each Original.
> 
> I'm debating what to do with Hayley. Eventually Klaus is going to find out the truth, but I'm torn. He'd kill someone for messing with his family, but she's his daughter's mother, so I think he'd be torn about it. Everything is going to tell him to kill Hayley for what she did. I don't know if I want Hope to find out yet or not.
> 
> Kol: 1
> 
> Extra chapter: maybe at the boarding school between Hope and Landon. I'm thinking there's gonna be some complications with Social Services and Landon that Elena goes to sort out on the way to Rebekah. This will also be where the fallout from Hayley's actions start to come into play.
> 
> Rebekah: 1-2
> 
> Extra: Not sure what this one will be yet, maybe a review will inspire me as I get closer.
> 
> Klaus: 1-2
> 
> At the boarding school: This chapter will be the epilogue of sorts and takes place after the Hollow has been dealt with.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> Who Are You? won the vote by a landslide, so it will be my focus until finished. Addicted was a close second, so it will be after.
> 
> There are five projected chapters left.
> 
> ELEJAH + Landon, Rebekah, Hope, Klaus, and the epilogue.
> 
> I also spent the last few days getting into making fan videos. One of them could be considered a trailer for Addicted (at least one of the versions I envisioned when I started planning).
> 
> https://youtu.be/1NNHvRZgxJI

His feet carried him through the crowded streets at a fast clip.

Every instinct he had told him 'no', 'don't trust her', 'don't go'. The voice that sounded so much like his kept whispering all of the reasons not to listen to the witch who had bested him in an alley. There were so many reasons not to listen to her, so many reasons to let the full moon come and go, but the blonde had hit a nerve.

It was so much easier for him to pretend he hated his family. He had more than enough reason to want to stay far away from Nik and the rest who always wound up siding with Nik. The claim of hatred was easier than admitting the truth.

He missed them. It was one thing to go off for centuries on end and not speak to them because he wanted to, but it was another to be forced apart. In the past they had always been there, and though Nik would have eventually pulled a dagger on him he would have been welcomed back. He couldn't go back anymore. He could never go back, or ever see them again in person.

It had been easier to make a clean break. The only one he had kept in steady contact with was Hope, but he'd always had a soft spot for his niece.

He felt the separation every day, but he knew it was worse for Hope.

He missed them all.

The small voice in his head grew as he moved through the streets, lost in his mind. He battled with the whispers claiming she wanted to trick him. Logic told him she had to be telling the truth.

How else could she have even known about the Hollow?

He came to an abrupt stop outside the building he had been calling home for the several months. There was someone inside that might be able to tell him more.

* * *

The Japanese Tea garden kept banker's hours – at least that's what her dad would have said. The gates closed shortly before supper time, but sneaking in to such a place was no problem for a supernatural.

She had thought she might have to use compulsion to get inside, but there were alternate routes than the one through the gate and the garden was deserted.

She spun in a slow circle, soaking in the beauty – the tiny slice of Japan – and smiled. She had spent the last few minutes exploring and found the combination of pagoda's, plants, and stepping paths serene.

The sound of footsteps drew her attention to the stepping path. She knew the confident rhythm well.

The moonlight flickered off the metal zippers on his leather jacket.

"Elena?" The question was evident in his tone and eyes.

"Elijah," she greeted, shaking her head.

"Perhaps Lexa has had better luck," he sighed, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Fingers crossed," Elena nodded. She hoped that was the case so they wouldn't have to wait another month; the longer it took to remove the Hollow, the longer Hope's separation from her family.

"You would think finding one vampire would be easier," she tilted her head. Her fingers slid between his with practiced ease.

"In a city of nearly 900,000?" He cocked an eyebrow. His thumb smoothed over her soft skin as they walked hand in hand over the path below the drum bridge.

"Manhattan has a population of 1.6 million people," she pointed out, "and in a span of three days I ran into two Originals."

"Yes," he chuckled, "but you weren't looking for us."

"So…" Elena spun to stand in front of him with a small smirk. "I should stop looking for Kol and I'll bump into him."

"That is one option," he nodded, "but I find myself more partial to how you found Rebekah."

Her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head.

"Technically Rebekah found me," she hummed, "while I was waiting for you to come back."

"Just before that," he shook his head. A smirk lifted the edges of his mouth.

He lifted his hand, cupped her cheek and tipped her head up. He pressed his lips to hers and heard her heart flutter. He would have stolen her kisses for the rest of eternity just to hear the magical sound of her fluttering heart.

She slipped her arms around his waist and tilted her head, parting her lips for his tongue. She could feel his skin warm beneath her hands through his t-shirt and smiled against his mouth.

He broke from her lips and pressed a few pecks to the corners of her mouth. He never could get over the slightly dazed expression in her eyes whenever he kissed her; like she couldn't believe he wanted to kiss her.

His gaze was soft when he met her eyes and he wanted to tell her, to say the words reflected in his eyes, but before he could say anything the silence was interrupted by the sound of heels on stone.

"Am I interrupting?" Lexa flashed a cheeky smile at the couple, pausing on the path to watch them. Her shadow cut through the moon's reflection in the coy pond.

"That depends," Elena stepped back, sighing. "Did you bring company?"

"Just me," she shook her head.

"Then you are definitely interrupting," Elijah chuckled. He claimed Elena's hand once more, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. "I take it you didn't find him either."

"I didn't say that," she shook her head.

"You did find him?" Elena frowned. She squeezed his palm and glanced at the dark walkways, half expecting Kol to emerge from the foliage and possibly attack her, but odds were he wouldn't. He had been back among the living for years and hadn't made a point of hunting her down to enact the revenge he had been hell bent on at her graduation. "Where is he?"

"He'll show," she shrugged.

"You didn't bring him with you?" Elijah frowned.

"What was I supposed to do?" She dropped to sit on a bench, crossing her legs at the ankles. "He was reluctant, and didn't believe me. Should I have clubbed him over the head?"

"He could do with having some sense knocked into him," Elijah smirked.

"Ha-ha," she rolled her eyes. "That wouldn't have worked for two very obvious reasons."

Elena cocked an eyebrow and joined the witch on the bench; his hand slipped from her palm to her shoulder. She bit her lip to temper her smile and waited for Lexa to explain her thought process.

"Number one," she held up her index finger, "he has to submit to the spell willingly, and two…" she tilted her head and motioned to her body, "… I am grand total of five foot three, and I weigh in at one hundred and fifteen pounds. I'm not sure how long it's been since you were human," her eyes met Elena's, "or what sort of strength you had back then, but I personally lack the physical capabilities to drag someone nearly a foot taller than me more than a metre."

"Don't sell yourself short," Elena nudged her shoulder, "you could make it at least two."

* * *

His heart pounded with a blind rage that pulsed through his entire body. He quivered with indignation and tried to bottle it down because it was one thing when the Hollow fueled his rage, but another when his rage fueled it.

He choked it down and flashed into the Japanese Tea Garden towards the sound of voices.

The first belonged to the witch.

The feminine voice that followed nearly made him turn around and leave, but the third one drew the breath from his lungs.

Out of instinct he looked around for wilted flowers and bloody water, but everything remained normal: serene. Jasmine scented air filled him as he breathed in and stepped through the opening.

He didn't know what to say when they all turned to look at him, so he turned his gaze on the blonde.

"I believe we had a deal, darling," he cocked an eyebrow.

"Lexa," she stood in a fluid motion, extracting a black box from her shoulder bag. "Now I've held up my end…"

She waved with one hand, lighting the stone lanterns within garden. She could see the flames flickering in the darkness and knelt, placing the box on the ground.

"You're sure this will work?" He frowned. The voice in his head still said not to trust her.

"The fact that you two are standing so close without having a negative effect on your immediate surroundings should answer that question." Elena glanced over her shoulder to Elijah.

For the first time he noticed his brother's hand on the brunette's shoulder. He doubted Elijah knew he was angling his body towards her.

"You make a fair point." He nodded. "Why are you here, darling?"

"I need a reason?" Elena tilted her head.

"If you're fond of your head…" Kol didn't finish the threat. Elijah's glare cut him off.

Elena still chose to answer.

"It turns out I'm instrumental in all of this," she shrugged. She wanted to tell him she was sorry for what she had done a decade before. She wanted to say he had been right and that they should have listened, but so much time had passed and she wasn't sure how to begin.

"Somehow it always boils down to the doppelganger," his eyes flickered over her. The air crackled between them.

"I get that there's something hostile between the two of you," Lexa cleared her throat, "but could you pick this up later? We're gonna lose the full moon."

Elena nodded and got to her feet, holding out her hands.

Kol hesitated for a moment before taking the offered hands and forming a small circle above the open box.

It happened all at once. Lexa closed her eyes. The voice in his head roared to life. It screamed. It fought. It clawed at the edges of his mind before being ripped from his body. His knees buckled.

Blinking against the fading headache he watched as the box rattled. Blue light pulsed behind the cracks. Slim fingers held the top closed.

The light grew and grew before dying. It was overtaken by something else that caused the cracks in the wood to glow violet before fading to a crimson sparkle.

"Is it just me," Lexa sighed, flopping onto her back, "or was that harder than last time?"

"I feel like I could sleep for a week," Elena agreed. She closed her eyes and wiped a bead of blood from her nose. She didn't realize she was asleep until her head hit the pillow on their bed.

She opened her eyes and managed a weak smile for Elijah as he removed her shoes and lifted a blanket over her body.

"What happened to Kol?" She mumbled into the pillow.

"He's helping Lexa back to her room," he smoothed Elena's hair away from her face. He didn't think she heard the answer because her heart had leveled out into the resting rate that indicated she was asleep.

"Elena?"

She hummed as his fingers combed through her hair, but gave no indication that she could hear him. He smiled, leant down and kissed her cheek, breathing the words against her smooth skin.

* * *

"Were you like this when you took the Hollow from Elijah?" Kol caught her around her waist.

She slurred something unintelligible and let him ease her down on the mattress. She was exhausted, but she did seem to have a little more energy than the previous time; she had enough strength to shake off her heels. Luckily they fell free with the first weak kick.

He filled a glass with water in the bathroom and pressed it into her open hand, watching as she drank down half of it.

"You're not a typical witch, are you, love?" He tilted his head.

"What do you mean?" She mumbled. Her head felt fuzzy, like she'd spent a night out drinking with Elena and had attempted to drink the vampire under the table.

He managed to make out her question.

"Most loathe vampires on sight," he chuckled, "and take months, if not years, to call one friend, but you don't seem to have any qualms with me."

She shrugged her shoulders. The glass slipped from her hand and would have spilled over her legs but he caught it without losing a single drop of water.

"The way I see it," she tilted her head, blinking slowly, "loathing, much like respect, needs to be earned. I don't know that I could ever hate somebody for what they are."

He nodded, setting the glass on the nightstand. His hand brushed her arm when he lowered it back down, causing his skin to tingle.

"Can I ask you something, Lexa?" He met her unfocused eyes. He felt certain she would answer honestly in her current state; her responses so far had come quickly.

"Lay it on me," she giggled.

"Would you ever turn?" He searched her eyes. In his experience witches only entered transition as a result of an accident or manipulative vampires. He had never known one to make the conscious choice.

"I don't know," she hummed. It was clear she had never thought about the possibility, but she considered it with as much concentration as her tired mind could manage. "Maybe…" she nodded after a pause, "… maybe I would…" she chewed her bottom lip, "if I had a good reason…"

She broke off with a yawn. Kol clenched his jaw to keep from yawning with her and stood up, directing her to lie down.

"Get some sleep, love," he draped the blanket over her slim frame. "Maybe in the morning you can tell me what a good reason would be," he chuckled.

"Love," her mumbled reply came when his hand was on the doorknob. He froze. "If I loved a vampire and they loved me too I'd turn."

He glanced over his shoulder to where she had closed her eyes.

"Good night, love."

"G'night, Kol."

* * *

Elijah found him in the sitting area of their rented apartment, staring out at the setting moon. He tilted his head towards the kitchen.

"There's blood if you're hungry."

"I'm not," he shook his head. "For the first time in months I'm not starving. I feel…"

"Renewed?" Elijah cocked an eyebrow. "I remember that feeling. Elena was all but dead on her feet and I felt like I was vibrating with energy."

"That about sums it up," he nodded. He glanced over his shoulder, eyeing his brother's attire. "I can't remember the last time I saw you out of a suit."

"Probably 1821," he chuckled.

"Let's be honest," Kol shook his head, "that was the equivalent of a suit. You haven't been this relaxed since the tenth century." He turned around to face his brother, following him into the kitchen and tilted his head. "How'd you get your memory back?"

"A very dedicated woman," Elijah pushed up his sleeves and poured a cup of coffee.

"Elena Gilbert," he took the offered cup. "Rebekah mentioned a run in. How exactly did that happen?"

"Just as you said," he shrugged, "a run in." He stirred cream and sugar into his cup and sat at the table. "She found me, and Elena, being Elena, couldn't leave me with no memory of whom, or what I was. I don't know where I would have ended up without her."

"Probably wreaking havoc somewhere in the world while being wracked by guilt," he sipped his coffee. "You always were more susceptible to that than the rest of us."

"When the lives I took were innocent ones, yes," he agreed. The coffee warmed his hands through the ceramic. "She helped me, Kol. She's helping all of us, and after what our family has done to her she shouldn't want to. Niklaus and Rebekah both killed her, terrorized her. You tried to kill her. Finn used her in a ritual that would have killed us all. I left her with Rebekah when I knew what would happen… She should hate us all."

"How instrumental is she in removing the Hollow?" Kol stared into his mug.

"Lexa has to channel her, and her blood is used as the seal on the box."

"So she's invaluable?" He scoffed. "Damn; that means I can't kill her."

"Kol," he warned.

"Relax," he rolled his eyes, "as much as I would love to maim her I'll refrain." He took a drink from the cup and tilted his head. "You might try telling her  _that_  when she's awake and can actually answer you."

Elijah choked on his coffee. He took a second to regain his breath and fixed his baby brother with the look.

"I'm fairly certain you were taught not to eavesdrop."

"I'm fairly certain none of us took to that lesson." Kol dropped into a chair across from his brother. "What's the plan, then? Rebekah then Nik, or Nik and then Rebekah?"

"It'll be whichever we find first," he shrugged. "Rebekah's somewhere in New York, but Niklaus has gone off the grid."

"You've been spending too much time with Elena Gilbert," Kol smirked.

"Not nearly enough," Elijah chuckled.

"Why not just call them and get them to meet you?" He changed the subject.

"It seems the Hollow is hiding them from us, and calls aren't going through. At least we assume that's the case; unless you were ignoring our calls." He nodded when Kol shook his head. "We're cut off."

Kol leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table.

"Have you told Hope?"

"No," he sighed, "and I'm not going to. I won't risk her knowing and being unable to contact him."

"You think that would happen?"

"I know Elena asked Caroline to tell Niklaus she had to speak to him, and I know Caroline has been unable to get in touch with him since. I'm not going to run the risk of cutting Hope off from her father."

"Do you have any idea where he is?"

"Somewhere in western Europe," Elijah shrugged. "Lexa's locator spells wouldn't get any closer than the borders of a country and he's moving too quickly, hopping from one country to the next…"

Kol plucked a pen from the table and flipped open a notebook. He recognized the various spirals and symbols of magic, but ignored them and flipped to the back to scrawl over the page.

"Here," he tore it out and gave it to Elijah, "that's the last address I have for Rebekah. I take it the full moon is important."

"Vital," he folded the slip of paper.

"Fancy a race, brother?" Kol leaned back with a smirk. "See which of us can locate a wayward sibling first? You can take Rebekah and I'll hunt down Nik."

"What happened with Davina?" He tilted his head. "Something tells me she won't be thrilled with you racing off to hunt down Niklaus."

"She wouldn't have been," he shrugged, casting his eyes aside.

"Kol?"

"She knew, 'Lijah," he shook his head. "She knew what Hayley had done after the fact and she didn't tell me. She thought I would tell everyone else and wanted to protect Hayley. She wanted to keep me from running back."

"I thought I was the one with blind devotion," he hummed.

"I might not be blinded by sentiment Elijah, but I do care. I would have gone back if I thought there was anything I could have done, and she didn't give me the choice." He shook his head, swallowing his anger with the bitter gulp of black coffee. "She wanted to steer clear of vampires. It seemed to escape her notice that I am one. Here I was holding on to the thought that she would turn one day."

"Now that conversation makes sense," Elijah sighed.

"You call me an eavesdropper," Kol scoffed. "It's no wonder none of us heeded that particular lesson."

"We've established I'm not the greatest role model," he chuckled. "You and Davina then…"

"Over," he sighed. "She hates vampires and she'll never be one. Maybe it could have waited; maybe we could have had more time, but I would have had to watch her age and die."

"You could have forgiven her deceit?"

"Eventually, probably… she was protecting her friend from Nik's wrath, but…"

"There's a pesky little mortality issue that won't go away," Elijah finished.

"I've got endless time but there's something about spending half your life in a box that makes you not want to waste it." He drained the last of his coffee.

"So you're going to help," he nodded.

"I'm going to help," he sighed. "And since you've got a good starting point for Rebekah I will take Nik, Lexa can give me locations when I land in Europe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adore reviews. They are my bread and butter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own tvd or to
> 
> Sorry for the delay. I had a busy week at work. This chapter got really long and I was nowhere near done with what I wanted to cover for it so I split it in two pieces.

Three intersecting triangles stared down at her from the white sign. It rested towards the top of a twelve foot fence that put her in mind of a prison. From the cover of the trees she saw men and women in black walking over the grounds; semi-automatic weapons were slung over their shoulders, adding to the image of a jail. She half expected to see inmates piling out onto the lawn in beige jumpsuits, but the black was too sleek for prison guards.

"What's with the paramilitary?" Elena's eyes narrowed. The group beyond the fence put her on edge.

"Do you want a drawn out magical history or do you want to get rid of the Hollow?" Lexa patted the box at her side.

"Can I have the history lesson later?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'd like an explanation now," Kol leaned against the trunk of an oak tree. "I did delay my trip for this, after all, because of your insistence that I be present."

"More for the aftermath," Lexa shrugged, wiggling her fingers in a dismissive gesture. "There's an entrance to another realm inside that building, but once the Hollow is inside its existence, or at least this quarter of its existence, will be forgotten. You could have taken off for Europe to hunt down Klaus but if you did you would have forgotten why you were there. You probably would have forgotten meeting up with us in San Francisco."

"That would be bad," Kol frowned.

"Mm," she nodded. "You'll still forget, you all will, but at least here I can put the memories back."

"How are you going to do that?" Elena frowned.

"It's in her somewhere…" Lexa muttered, rummaging in her bag for a moment. She was by no means a messy person, but organization had never been her strong suit so it took a little searching before she found what she was looking for.

Elena caught a small peach coloured moonstone; two more were tossed to Kol and Elijah.

"Think about the memories from San Francisco, and anything else that might be associated with this particular quarter of the Hollow," Lexa unfolded a slip of paper, "this spell will store the memories in the stones and then I'll put them back in your heads after."

"You're going to remember it?" Elijah cocked an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"That would be a part of the history lesson," she grinned, "and since I'm not a fan of repetition it will have to wait until after." Her eyes flickered from Elijah to Kol. "It's a good thing I'll remember."

"Why is that, darling?" He straightened up.

"That should be obvious," she smirked. "I'd hate for you to forget having your ass handed to you."

"You didn't best me," he scoffed.

"I sent you to your knees twice in twelve hours," she cocked an eyebrow. "I'm betting there aren't many witches who can say the same."

"None," Kol smirked, "and any that tried usually lost a few vital organs."

"Gonna take your revenge?" She teased, holding out her hands in a challenging gesture. The smirk on her lips whispered 'come and get them'.

"You know, I would…" he smirked, letting his eyes roam over her from head to toe, lingering on her exposed clavicle before meeting her laughing eyes, "…but apparently I'm gonna forget all about it."

"Temporarily," she pointed out. She tore her gaze away, breaking their staring contest, when she heard a gentle throat clearing to find Elena struggling not to snicker.

She nodded to the stones and murmured the spell causing the gems to warm in their palms. When they cooled she tucked the paper away.

"Put those in your pockets," she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. "I'd hate to put the wrong memory in the wrong head."

"How are we getting in here?" Elena did as she was told. "That's too many to compel and I take it you don't have an all access pass to…" her eyes found the sign, "… Triad?"

"We're going in through that wall over there," Lexa pointed to the southern side of the building. "The pit is on the other side."

"Pit…?" Kol cocked an eyebrow. His comment went unanswered.

"You want to go through a solid wall?" Elena frowned.

"It won't be solid when we get there," she smirked.

"What's your plan for getting there?" Elena nodded to the patrol team.

"Two options," Lexa held up her fingers. "One: I make us invisible and we can walk, or two: one of you can pick me up and r

Before any of them could come to a decision Elena's phone began to vibrate. She pulled it from her pocket and saw it was the Boarding School.

"Or option three," Kol eyed the phone. "You two deal with whatever crisis has come up at the school, and we'll take care of the Hollow." He didn't wait for an answer before picking Lexa up. "Hold tight, darling."

He could practically hear Elena rolling her eyes when they came to a stop, but his brother's lover didn't hold his attention for long.

"Ouch," he rubbed the spot on his chest where her fist had made contact. Mock indignation shone from his eyes. "You wound me, darling."

"You'll heal," she shook her head.

"What, pray tell, have I done to earn your ire?" He tilted his head, blinking innocently.

"You left a few internal organs behind the fence," Lexa sighed. Her insides shook from the fast move.

Kol placed his hands on her hips and ran them over her back and stomach. She was soft and warm beneath his fingers, and despite the clinical fashion of the exam he felt her abdomen clench.

"Everything seems to be in place," he cleared his throat.

"You didn't check my heart." She blushed when she realized what the statement had implied.

"I can hear that," his eyes flickered to her chest and back to her face. A pretty flush stained her cheeks. "Strong, steady…"

He bit back his smirk when the organ skipped a beat.

Lexa exhaled, breaking the lingering stare to face the wall and willing her blush to go away. She pressed her palms to the stone, closing her eyes. A murmured spell changed the molecular structure of the building.

She reached behind her, took Kol's hand and did her best to ignore the tingles that raced up her arm.

"Invisque," she breathed.

Together they stepped forward and came to a stop in front of a bubbling black pit. It looked thick enough to walk on, but at the same time bottomless.

* * *

"Hey, Care," Elena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "What's up?"

_"I thought you might like to know about the latest news."_

"Is Landon okay?" She straightened up and ran the fastest route to Virginia in her head.

_"You don't think I'd call about Hope?"_

"I'd assume you'd call Klaus or Elijah about Hope," Elena worried her bottom lip. She could see the worry in Elijah's eyes. "Is something wrong with Hope?"

_"Hope is fine. She's a little confused about the situation with her mother and she's not the only one…"_

* * *

Caroline trailed off, knowing full well that Elijah was within earshot and would hear the incredulous tone of her voice. She was not happy sealing off the school from a parent.

_"It's not a situation we could put before a judge Ms. Forbes."_

She cocked an eyebrow. Her silence spoke volumes because Elena took it upon herself to fill in a few blanks that Elijah had left empty.

_"Trust me, Care, if the situation could be put before a higher authority sole custody would definitely be awarded to Klaus."_

"Considering the fact that you hate Klaus…"

 _"I don't hate Klaus…"_ Caroline smirked when she trailed off. In her mind she could see the sceptical look Elijah was most assuredly giving her.  _"I don't hate Klaus…"_ She insisted.  _"… okay… fine… I don't like him, but considering the face that he killed me and used me as a human blood bag for months I think I have earned the right for a little dislike."_

"Yes, 'Lena, you have that right," Caroline snickered. "Custody is actually the reason I called you. I'm getting some grief from social services and since you've taken such an interest in Landon's education I thought I'd let you know."

_"What kind of grief?"_

"Technically you brought him across state lines without going through the proper channels and now they are insisting on a home study to ensure he's in a safe environment; which is ridiculous when you think about the horror that is the foster system."

_"How bad would a study be for the school?"_

"Considering the fact that we have seventy-five students who are learning how to control their abilities… it would be bad."

_"I'll take care of it."_

"How?"

_"Not sure yet… I'll figure something out."_

* * *

"What the…?"

Lexa shushed him and squeezed his hand so he wouldn't break away and step out from her spell into view of the security cameras pointed at the pit. She twisted her bag around so she could open it and pulled out the box. For a moment she debated telling him not to let go and warning him again what would happen when the box hit the tar, but there was really no point because he would forget the second the container sank, so she threw it.

It soared through the air. A sensor light went off overhead but it was too late for anyone to stop it.

She knew the second it happened. Kol took a small step back and looked around in surprise; his eyes landed on her a moment later.

She saw the fog in his gaze and pulled him backwards before it could clear; out through the door she had created into the field. A murmured incantation fixed the wall just in time for her back to collide with it.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" He frowned.

Lexa sighed. He hadn't used enough force to cause her physical pain, so she assumed on some level he remembered; on some level everyone always remembered.

"In your pocket," she tilted her head.

His eyes narrowed.

She reached out when he didn't move and slipped her fingers into the pocket, curling them around the stone. She used her other hand to take his wrist so she could place the gem in his palm and close his fingers around it. She held his hand, closed her eyes and whispered the spell that replaced the memories in his head.

He shook his head as the memories settled and fixed her with a curious expression.

"I think I'll take that history lesson now, love."

* * *

"How long do you think this is going to take?" Elena dropped her phone in her pocket.

"I've no idea," he shook his head. His eyes found the spot where Kol supported Lexa beside the wall. They disappeared a few minutes later. "What are…?"

He trailed off.

Elena's vision shifted. The greenery faded before coming back in stark focus. She looked around, turning on her heel.

"Elijah," she frowned, meeting his dazed eyes, "what are we doing here?"

"I…" he tilted his head, searching for a memory that wasn't there, "… I'm not sure…" The last thing he remembered was the phone call from Caroline, but nothing before or after. "That certainly doesn't look like social services."

She nodded, biting her lip.

"Did we drive?" She was already pulling out her cell phone to figure out where they were. From the corner of her eye she saw him lifting a set of keys from his pocket.

* * *

"Can the history lesson wait until we get out of here?" Her eyes darted to the trees. "The last thing I want is to be shot by one of those guards."

"You really think I'd let one of them shoot you?" His eyes narrowed in an incredulous look as he rubbed small circles over her upper arms.

"I think you'd get shot in the process," she pressed her lips together.

"Considering the fact that I'd jump in front of a bullet for you that's a safe bet," he smirked.

"Don't," she snapped with fear flashing in her eyes.

"A bullet won't hurt me love," he frowned at the sharp tone.

"These one will," her eyes met his; the plea that he trust her shone in the flash of green. She held up her hand when he opened his mouth. "It's part of the history lesson, okay?" She bit her lip.

Kol hesitated before nodding.

"Okay."

Lexa's shoulders sagged in relief.

"Can we get out of here, please?" She licked her lips. "They're gonna be on the alert now."

"Would you prefer to walk or…?" The sound of an alarm cut off his voice. He hooked her legs over his arm and picked her up, waiting just long enough for Lexa to wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face against his throat before running; her soft breath sent a shiver down his spine.

Lexa squeezed her eyes shut to block out the blurring green and held her breath, exhaling in a rush when the wind stopped. Her feet were placed on an emerald carpet and she took a moment before opening her eyes to focus on him.

She recognized the clearing as one nearly three miles from Triad.

"Where are they?" She glanced around.

"I'm assuming they took off when they heard the alarms," Kol shrugged. "Are you alright?"

She bit her bottom lip and inhaled through her nose, willing her stomach to settle as she weighed the possibilities. The odds were that Elena and Elijah had left before the alarm since they would have had no idea why they were standing in the woods outside of Triad.

"I'm okay," she cleared her throat and gave him a small smile. "That takes some getting used to, doesn't it?"

"Personally," he chuckled, "it took a few days."

"Well," she hummed, "if it's all the same to you I'd rather not do that again anytime soon. I lack the required physiology for quick adjustments."

"As you wish, darling," he smiled, "but just so you know Elena and Elijah appear to have taken the car."

She sighed, raking her hands through her hair. She had a general idea of where she was in relation to the lodgings they had taken up and knew the hike would take at least three hours.

"Sure you don't want a lift?" He smirked.

She glanced down at her heeled boots and then out at the woods, chewing her cheek.

"Ask me again in an hour."

"Okay," he nodded, smiling as she walked through the field. His eyes traced the line of her spine down over her legs with the attention Klaus would have given one of his paintings.

He gave her twenty minutes before she caved.

* * *

She stepped out of the brick building in a daze, staring at the setting sun. The beauty of it helped snap her out of her mind space, but she was still reeling when he joined her.

Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she found her voice.

"Did I really just do that?" She pointed over her shoulder.

Elijah opened the manila folder in his hand and held out the sturdy paper. Sunlight glinted off the gold filigree turning it orange.

"You did," he tried to temper his smile, "and you used compulsion to do it."

Elena read the cursive script and felt her head clear with each word. She tilted her head and took the certificate from him.

"I'm not sure why you look so surprised," Elijah met her stride as they started down the street, "all you did was make it official."

She lifted her head to meet his laughing eyes with a confused smile.

He pressed his hand to the small of her back and brushed his lips over the line between her eyebrows.

"You did this," he tapped the certificate, smirking, "months ago. The moment you walked into that little bedroom in your brother's house, actually."

"I did not," she denied. "I was just doing the right thing."

"You did," he met her eyes. "The right thing would have been to place him in the school. The right thing does not involve calling once a day to check on his progress and talk to him."

"I…" her mouth popped open, "… you… you know about that?"

"You're on the phone with either him or Caroline every day," he smirked. "Now I know Caroline Forbes is one of your best friends Elena, but you've never called her this often. I would know. I was with you for months before we first came to Atlanta."

She glanced at the certificate again and sighed, wondering if he also knew how she'd rethought the layout of her house in Mystic Falls. The school was great but students didn't stay during the holidays and everyone needed a sense of place.

"I was a little distracted," she peeked up through her lashes.

"A little," he smiled in agreement.

"There you two are," Lexa held her hips. Her voice drew their attention to where she was standing by the car. "I'd be mad that you took off without me, but you don't remember it so I'll let it go."

"Lexa?" Elena frowned. "Where have you been?"

"Looking for you," she rolled her eyes.

"We could have gotten here faster, but you've proven to be a singularly stubborn woman."

Elijah's eyes widened, darting from Lexa to the man beside her.

"Kol," he turned slightly, keeping his hand on Elena's back, "what are you doing here?"

Kol shook his head and sighed.

"In your pockets."

They checked and extracted the small gemstones. Elena smoothed her thumb over the moonstone as Elijah looked at Lexa and his brother.

Lexa breathed the spell and watched and watched their eyes clear.

* * *

Lexa emerged from her the bathroom towel drying her hair and made it to her hotel bed before sensing the eyes on her.

She gave up on her hair and wrapped it in the towel, twisting the material into a knot before meeting the expectant stares of her companions.

"I believe we were promised a history lesson darling," Kol smiled.

"Wouldn't we rather discuss Elena's impulsiveness from this afternoon?" She gave them a wry smile.

"We've come to the conclusion that it was only a matter of time before she made things official," Elijah smirked.

"Because apparently I'm transparent," Elena rolled her eyes.

"Compassionate, Elena," he threaded his fingers through hers, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb.

"You two are sickening," Kol shook his head. He turned his attention back to Lexa. "How about that history lesson?"

She nodded and stepped out of the bedroom into the suite's living room, adjusting her camisole and taking a seat. She owed them an explanation after what had happened that morning.

"About a millennium ago…" she began and was promptly cut off.

"This sounds familiar," Kol dropped into an armchair near Lexa and flashed his brother a smirk.

"Don't interrupt me," she glared, using a throw pillow to wack Kol's arm. She couldn't stop her smile when she met his eyes though.

"He never could get through a lecture without interjecting," Elijah cocked an eyebrow, "usually with a smart remark."

"Terrible student, then?" She crossed her legs and jiggled her foot.

"I resent that," his mock glare shifted from Elijah to Lexa, "I'm an excellent student."

Lexa lifted her voice before the brothers went off on a tangent.

"As I was saying," she shook her head, "it all started a millennium ago. Certain parts of the world held… monsters." She cringed at the word; many people would have lumped her into that category. "There was nothing more terrifying than dragons."

"I'm sorry," Kol held up his hand. "Are you telling us that dragons are real, and that they were around a thousand years ago? Wouldn't we remember that?"

"Are you forgetting what happened this morning?" Lexa countered.

"I thought dragons were just a myth," Elena twisted her daylight ring with her thumb.

"A lot of people would say that about vampires," Lexa shrugged, "and witches and werewolves. Speaking of…" she focused on her audience, "… that's a big part of the story. There was no supernatural faction that was a match for dragons; at least, not on their own, so an  _unholy,_ " she made air quotes around the word, "alliance was formed."

Elena wanted to ask, but she sensed that Lexa would just glare at her for interrupting.

"A witch, a werewolf, and a vampire came together." She tilted her head, remembering the story she had heard at her mother's knee. "The Triad combined their blood and used black magic to create a golem that could consume supernatural beings with the exception of the ones that had made it, and I do mean the ones that had made it – that particular witch, vampire and wolf."

She knew she was getting ahead of herself and took a deep breath to refocus.

"The golem took and consumed the dragons when they returned to collect treasure from the villages they attacked. It swallowed them whole into an endless space, an alternate realm that wiped the memory of the monsters from existence." She saw the recognition in their eyes. "With each supernatural it swallowed, it evolved and became sentient. Once the region was free of dragons the Triad wanted to destroy him, they were the only ones that could, but it betrayed them and made a deal with the humans it had saved."

"How does a golem turn into a bubbling pit of tar?" Kol tilted his head, having gone silent during the tale.

"It wandered," Lexa shrugged, motioning with her hands, "the earth, consuming supernaturals and erasing the memory that they ever existed, but eventually it realized it was alone. What does anyone do when they think they're alone in the world; when they're the only one of their kind?"

"They make more," Elena murmured, "by any means necessary." Her fingers twitched, but she managed to keep from reaching for her throat and the spot where Klaus had chosen to sink his teeth into her carotid artery.

"Precisely," she nodded. "The golem began to fashion beings like it, but they lacked its power. They were flawed and imperfect, and it had a tendency to disregard the imperfect. It was never intended to have a bloodline of its own."

"What happened?" Elena tilted her head.

"One of its… children…" she managed a small laugh, "betrayed it. He told the descendants of the original worshippers of the attempts to create more like it, and how it was violating the laws of Nature by attempting to birth a new species. This guy led them to the golem and they had some witches use more black magic to trap it. It dissolved into a black pit, but maintained its power. They locked it somehow, and the secret society grew into a business."

"Triad," Kol finished.

"Triad Industries," Lexa sang, "keeping the world safe from all the things that go bump in the night."

"What happened to the son?" Elijah frowned.

"Not sure," she hummed, "he disappeared a while back." Her eyes took on a haunted look.

"How did you remember?" Elena pulled her back from her mind.

"People forget," she folded her legs under her, "but those who share blood with the golem always remember. The vampire died during the betrayal, and I think the wolf's bloodline eventually ended, but the witch one endured. The stories were passed down along with immunity to the golem's power."

"Could this thing absorb a witch, or a vampire, or a wolf?" Elijah watched Lexa's face.

"It could," she nodded, "it has, and that's allowed Triad to create weapons that can hurt a supernatural."

"Is that why you were in such a rush?" Kol twisted in his seat. "You were afraid a mystical weapon would kill you."

"Not me," she shook her head. "I told you… I'm immune. I was protecting you."

"We can't be…"

"Do you really want to test out a weapon you've never come in contact with?" She cocked an eyebrow. "I've seen their weapon work. It burns supernatural creatures from the inside out, and when they're dead they're swiftly forgotten. It's not like being absorbed, but its close. It's like they fade away, becoming a grainy face in an old photograph."

"The industry weaponized a golem?" Elena shifted back, curling her legs onto the sofa and leaning into Elijah when he lifted his arm over her shoulders. "Is that why you don't like them?"

"I don't like them because they've taken it upon themselves to eliminate everything they deem monstrous. I'm certain they'd try to get rid of witches, vampires and wolves if they weren't so plentiful and hard to track."

"Not everything that's been absorbed deserved it?" Kol tapped the arm of his chair.

"Would you call dryads and nymphs, or djinn and unicorns evil?"

"Unicorns are real?" Elena squinted.

"Not anymore," Lexa shook her head, pursing her lips.

"I thought djinn were supposed to be evil spirits," Kol frowned, remembering the old myths he had read.

"Nah," Lexa waved, "they were mischievous, and self-serving, but not necessarily bad. We're getting off topic though. The thing to remember is that the only people in the world who know you held a piece of the Hollow are in this room."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter picks up a few hours after this one with Kol and Elena in the parking lot followed by an Elejah scene and then off to the boarding school.


	12. Chapter 12

He was in the parking lot waiting for his taxi that was meant to have arrived nearly ten minutes before when she found him. Lightning flashed in the sky.

"Has your blood given you a sense of self-importance?" He stared out into the night. "Do you think I won't kill you? I'm certain there are other witches Lexa could channel."

He smirked when he heard her heart skip a beat. He wouldn't kill her as long as Elijah was in love with her, but that didn't mean he wouldn't make her think he would.

"I couldn't let you go without saying this," Elena's heels clicked on the brick walkway. "I've already let it go ten years."

His eyes narrowed, but he didn't turn to look at her. Her next words had his heart skipping a beat.

"I'm sorry," she stared out at the rain slick pavement before shifting to watch his face. He had smoothed his features into an expressionless mask, but she heard the surprise in his heart. "I was stupid and impulsive and partially acting under a sire bond."

"Are you seriously going to blame killing me on a sire bond?" He scoffed.

"No," she shook her head, "the sire bond put killing an Original in my head, but choosing you was me. You had the stake, and you were threatening my brother and that made me angry, so when Damon said we had to complete Jeremy's mark faster and joked about killing an Original to do it, I acted."

"Do you have any idea how many vampires you killed that night?" He finally turned to face her in time to see the shame and guilt flashing through her eyes.

"I don't," her voice was small. "You were the last person I killed, at least while my humanity was intact." Tears welled in her eyes when she thought of the waitress. How many more would have died at her hand if she hadn't gone to meet Elijah, if Katherine hadn't broken her neck, if she hadn't been taken by the Salvatores?

"Countless vampires," he took a step towards her, impressed when she didn't flinch away. He wondered if she would try to stop him from killing her if he were to try.

"I can't exactly apologize to them," she shook her head.

"Why not Rebekah or Elijah?" He tilted his head. "You could have chosen either of them."

"You had the stake," she bit her bottom lip, "and I…" She wasn't sure how to explain herself. Rebekah had been through so much, and she'd already stabbed her in the back because of compulsion; the sister hadn't deserved a second attack. She hadn't even been able to entertain the thought of killing Elijah.

She didn't realize she was talking until he cut her off.

"Elena," he caught her chin.

She shivered; half-expecting he would end her then and there and go off to find Lexa some coven of witches to channel for the spell, but the blow never came. Her head remained firmly on her shoulders and her heart stayed in her chest.

"You were babbling," he released her chin.

"I've been spending a lot of time with Lexa," she breathed. "She tends to babble a lot."

"Were you expecting me to accept that apology?" He stepped back when a cab came to a stop beneath the canopy.

"No," she shook her head, "but I had to say it. I'm not proud of what I did Kol." She turned away when he opened the cab door.

"Elena," he called after her retreating back. She paused and looked back over her shoulder making Kol's breath catch; the motion was one Elijah made often. "I've seen him broken by two Petrovas over the last thousand years, and others as well, so try not to hurt him."

He slid into the cab before she could say anything.

Elena stared after the yellow taxi for a moment, reminded of Rebekah's departure in New York.

* * *

He lifted his eyes from the book when she slipped back into the bedroom, marking the page as she changed and slid between the sheets.

He pulled her down to lie beside him; kissing his cheek, she sank into his embrace.

Elena rested her head on his shoulder. Her nails plucked at the blanket covering her thighs.

He combed through her hair with his fingers, listening to her heart rate slow.

"I have to take a copy of the documents to the school," she ventured in a quiet voice. "I can stop in on the way to New York."

"If Hope finds out…" he trailed off.

"I won't say a word," she lifted her chin, meeting his eyes. She knew he wanted to see his niece more than anything, but that going near her now would only raise questions that would prolong her separation from her father. "I'll be in and out."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "Promise?"

"I swear," she held her hand over her heart. "Don't worry," she teased, "you've still got a good head start over Kol."

His brows lowered.

"For the race," she clarified. "I'm pretty sure we can locate Rebekah before he gets within a hundred miles of Klaus."

"How did you know about that?" He frowned.

"I was in and out that night," she shrugged, "heard bits and pieces."

He propped himself on an elbow and cocked an eyebrow. The tips of his fingers grazed her cheek, ghosting over her throat as he pushed her hair back from her face.

"And what bits and pieces did you hear?"

She tilted her head, blinking up at him.

"There was something about Hope and Klaus," she pursed her lips and squinted, "and something to do with eavesdropping. I thought I heard my name at one point, but I'm not sure what you were talking about."

Rolling over she reached out and pulled the lamp cord, plunging the room into semi-darkness; the only remaining illumination came through the open window.

"Nothing else?" He laid back down.

"You were too far away for me to really make anything out," the corner of her mouth lifted in a smile. She shifted onto her side and felt his arm snake around her waist.

"I never took you for an eavesdropper, Elena," he chuckled, breathing against the back of her neck.

"It's not like I was trying to," she traced the edge of his daylight ring, a soft smile played on her lips.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence

She listened as his breathing leveled out and his heart slowed. There had been something else, she was certain there had been something else. It was important. She could remember registering the significance of his words without actually registering the words. She thought she might have been asleep when he said it. She was on the verge of sleep when she pieced together the three syllables she had been puzzling over for the past few days; the syllables that had made her feel warm all over.

"Elijah?" She murmured; her voice was so quiet that she wasn't sure he could hear her even with his enhanced senses. She was prepared to admit he was asleep and leave it at that for the time being, but then he hummed; the sound rumbled in his chest, traveling the length of her spine.

"I love you, too."

For a moment nothing happened as his tired mind registered her words, but then they sank in; the three little words that made him feel both panic and joy. After everything he had done she loved him, his love was not unrequited or impossible. She was in his arms, and for the moment everything was still; the world had faded away.

"You did hear me," he brushed his lips over her shoulder.

"Sorry it took so long to register," she shifted slightly onto her back.

"I didn't think you heard me at all," he cupped her cheek, meeting her lidded eyes.

She tilted her head and met him half way in a kiss. It was sleepy, and slow, and perfect, and towards the end made up of more smiles than anything else.

He hovered over her parted lips, breathing in the sweetness of her toothpaste. There, in that room, nothing else existed and he wanted to keep it that way for a little while longer.

He wanted to banish that small voice that seemed to echo Hayley's words from years before in his own voice. He had lost love in the past and grown distant and cold because of it, but she was different. This time loving him would not be a death sentence.

He whispered the words, breathing them against her mouth and laying them in a burning trail to her ear.

* * *

She sighed, closing her textbook and fixing him with a glare. She was still experiencing the after effects of Penelope's empath spell so his anxiety was rubbing off on her in the most annoying way; it made her skin crawl and for some strange reason increased her longing to see her dad. Her phone had been confiscated so she made a note to sneak into Caroline's office and call him after she did something about Landon.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he shook his head.

"I really hate it when people lie to me," Hope rolled her eyes.

"I'm not," Landon shook his head again and opened one of her textbooks. He stared at the symbols and writing so he wouldn't have to look up and see the look on her face.

"You are," Josie piped up on her way around the couch. "I could feel your anxiety on the other side of the room."

"We were practicing empathy in chemistry of magic," Hope crossed her legs, "the spell lingers, so tell me what's wrong."

"Maybe your spell was wonky," he stared at the page.

"Penelope's spell was perfect, and you're reading those spells upside down," she took the book from his hands.

Landon tugged on his sleeves.

"I heard a rumor that…" he tilted his head and glanced up at her, "… that I won't be here much longer."

"Where else would you go?" Hope crossed her arms.

"Don't know," he shrugged. "That's the beauty of the foster system." His smile was wry. "Just as well," he looked around the room to where the other students were milling around, "I don't exactly fit in here."

"That's not true," Hope said, shaking her head.

"It is," he shrugged, "I'm not a witch, or a vampire, or a werewolf. I don't fit into any group, and people don't like that."

"If people have a problem with you then they can take it up with me," Hope scoffed, "and they'll have to go through Raf too."

"You can't stop the system, Hope," Landon shook his head.

"You're right," a feminine voice came from above his head, "she can't."

Landon twisted around. His stomach dropped when he saw her.

"Elena," he swallowed, "I didn't know you were coming. Are you here to take me away?"

"I'm here to take you for a walk," she smiled, holding out a hand. "Come on."

"Hi Elena," Hope eyed the brunette suspiciously.

"Hello Hope," Elena smiled, "don't worry, sweetie, I'll bring your friend back."

* * *

It had been years since Elena had last walked the grounds but she still remembered the path down to the water. She could smell Landon's anxiety on the short walk.

"Who told you?" She stopped at the edge of the dock.

"The wolves," he shrugged. "They said I didn't belong and that social services is going to come and take me away."

"Wolves like it when people belong," Elena sighed, "they've got a distinct hierarchy." She took a seat on the edge of a bench so they were eyelevel.

"Are you taking me away?" Tears shimmered in his eyes; he blinked them back.

"Of course not," she took his arms. "You're not going anywhere."

"But I don't fit in," he frowned.

"It looked to me like you have a couple of awesome friends," she smiled, "and that's all anyone needs to fit in. You'll figure out what you are in time. And I promise you that social services will never take you away."

"How can you promise that?"

Elena let go of his arms to reach into her shoulder bag. She saw his confusion from the corner of her eye as she opened the envelope and pulled out a certificate. The afternoon light caught the gold filigree around the edges.

He took it gingerly and held it out, reading the cursive script that proclaimed Landon Kirby had been adopted into the Gilbert family by Elena Gilbert.

"Social Services won't be taking you away and neither will I," she took the certificate and placed it on the bench with care. "As long as you're happy here then here you'll remain. You are happy here, right? I can pull you out and put you in a regular school if you like."

"I like it here," he whispered.

"Okay," she smiled, "then you'll stay right here until December 19th."

"December 19th?" A line appeared between his brows.

"Christmas break," Elena explained. "Unless of course you'd rather stay at an empty school than come home with me." She worried her bottom lip. "I know I didn't really talk to you about this…"

He cut off her rambling by throwing his arms around her neck.

"I'll warn you," she whispered when he pulled back, "I don't know the first thing about being a mom."

"You're doing better than all of my foster mothers," he smiled.

"In that case I'm happy for me and you, and disappointed in the system," she frowned. "I feel like I haven't done anything for you."

"You did, though," he frowned, "you brought me here, and you call every day, and…"

Elena smiled and he trailed off. He had forgotten what her smile was like in the month he had been at school; it was warm and bright and made him feel happy and safe.

"Do you feel like playing hooky for the afternoon?" She cocked an eyebrow. "I don't condone that normally, but I would like to show you the house."

* * *

Hope's heart leapt into her throat when she heard the door click open. She dove under Caroline's desk and murmured the spell that made her invisible, concealing her presence from the headmistress. She held her breath and listened to the disembodied voices.

"You're a friend of Elena's then?"

"Yeah, I'm helping her and Elijah with the Hollow situation."

"Right," Caroline's shoes came into focus. "And why are you telling me this now?"

"Elena would have told you, but she's out with Landon, and I need something to try and find Klaus. He's completely off the grid."

Hope saw a pair of heeled leather boots from her position under the desk. She clutched the cell phone tighter to her chest and stared at the shoes as Caroline ruffled through a stack of papers.

"Have you tried calling him?"

"Have you?" The stranger countered. "You haven't been able to get in touch with him since Elena asked you to pass on a message that she needed to talk to him. She didn't give you a single detail and you were cut off."

Hope saw Caroline's foot shift.

"How did you know that?" She could hear the frown in Caroline's voice.

"I know because it was the same story with everyone holding a piece of the Hollow: Kol, and now Rebekah," the other set of legs moved. Hope could see the woman sit down and cross her ankles; she assumed she was leaning on the desk.

"Kol?" Caroline perched on the edge of the desk. "Why would you have trouble with Kol?"

"Because he had a piece of it; nobody remembers because of what I did with it."

Hope held her breath as the room went silent for a long moment.

"What do you need?"

"I need something personal to try and find Klaus. He's somewhere in Western Europe, but Elijah's blood is only getting me so close. I thought he might have given his daughter something."

"So you want to talk to Hope?"

She almost revealed herself then but held off when the other woman came back with a sharp reply.

"No, she can't know any of this. Right now, she is in the dark and still able to talk to her father. If she knows she won't be able to contact him. I just need to borrow something he would have given her."

Caroline's heels hit the floor with a click.

"They did a painting together; it's in her room. Will that work?"

"Is it personal?"

"It's one of Hope's most treasured possessions. I think the only thing better would be Hope."

"I'll try the painting."

Hope stared at the underside of the desk, her mind reeling with the information. The phone in her hand felt like a foreign object. She didn't register that Caroline and the visitor were moving until they stopped at the door.

She peeked out over the edge of the desk – an unnecessary action since she was still invisible – and saw Caroline fixing the blonde witch with a curious look.

"Do you know what's going on with Hayley? I still have no idea why I had to seal her from the grounds." There was a line between Caroline's brows.

Hope frowned. She had spoken to her mom the previous night and she hadn't said anything about not being able to come to the school.

"I don't know the full story," the other woman shook her head. "All I know is that she was behind this unnecessary separation and Elijah is afraid she'll try to take Hope away before he can find Klaus. He even considered pulling her out of school himself, but she's safe here."

The office door drifted shut behind them.

Hope already knew where they were going. She felt her spell melt away as she stared down at the phone, barely able to breathe.

Unlocking the phone she scrolled through the contacts until she found 'Klaus' and let her thumb hover over the call button. Her heart hammered.

She pushed the button and held the phone to her ear. A low buzz greeted her. She hung up and tried again. She got the same result.

The third time she punched the numbers into the phone on the desk. The same low buzz met her ears.

She hung up.

Her hand shook as she pushed the buttons again. The call connected on the third ring.

_"Hello?"_

Her voice was a strangled whisper.

"Mom," she swallowed, toying with the phone cord, "what did you do?"

_"Hope? Aren't you supposed to be in class?"_

"What did you do?" Her blood boiled. Her knuckles turned white around the phone. Her voice grew stronger. "What did you do with the Hollow?"

_"… I did what I had to do to protect you. It was killing you, and it had to come out. Why don't I take the next flight up? We can talk all about it."_

She glared at the cell phone on the desk. She didn't know who the woman – who was likely now in her bedroom – was, but she remembered what she had said about her uncle.

_"Hope? Meet me at the gate."_

"I have to go to class," she slammed the phone down in the cradle.


	13. Chapter 13

Rebekah's apartment was in the heart of the upper east side of New York City, and proved ridiculously easy to find. Elena had been expecting more of a struggle after their ordeal with Kol, but having the address proved useful.

The apartment was bright, with dozens of glass windows letting in the afternoon light. Sunshine flooded the living room, making the already large space look massive.

Elena had seen the mansion in Mystic Falls full of its old world charm and new world elegance; the two had merged together and screamed Klaus. The Abattoir was tastefully decorated in supple leather and dark wood; the combination was the embodiment of Elijah. The loft in San Francisco had been chosen by Davina, but the exposed wood beams and open space had still made her think of Kol.

The New York apartment was nothing like any of the other properties she had seen. Every other place the Original family had called home spoke to their roots in some way, but Rebekah's apartment was different. Everything was sleek and modern, there wasn't an antique in sight. There was a large bookshelf behind the sofa covered in modern art and housing the latest bestsellers. It was like Rebekah was trying to run from her past and embrace a future without her siblings. Everything seemed cold and impersonal with nothing to tie her to the family she thought she could never see again.

Personally Elena thought the white furniture was a bad idea for a vampire; tempting fate.

"I feel kind of bad," she ran her finger over the spines of the books; a couple showed signs of wear but most looked like they had come straight from the bookshelf.

"How come?" Lexa unfolded a map over the gleaming floor.

"We just walked in to someone's home," Elena stepped lightly around the couch, afraid her heels would damage the floor. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the object Lexa held between her fingers; it was placed on the floor with extreme reverence.

"Technically I own the property," Elijah glanced over his shoulder, smirking. He maintained eye contact with Elena for a moment before turning his attention back to the street. "Although Rebekah has redecorated."

Elena chewed her bottom lip, trying not to smile.

"That helps a little," she tapped her fingers against her thigh, "but you're not the one that lives here, so I still feel bad."

"If anyone should feel bad about something it's me," Lexa spread sand over her map. "I essentially stole a child's most prized possession and I'm making a mess on the floor… what are these floors?"

"Granite," Elijah paced away from the window and came to stand with Elena.

"I don't think you're gonna find Rebekah with a map of Western Europe," Elena cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm not looking for Rebekah," Lexa sprinkled a little sand over the painting, "because she'll come home eventually..."

Elijah nodded. He could smell his sister's perfume lingering in the air. Even after a thousand years Rebekah still preferred the scents she had used as a human girl: lilac and honeysuckle. It was the only link to the past he had found in the apartment, the only thing she still seemed to be clinging to.

Lexa held her hands together over the map and closed her eyes. A stream of sand moved in time with her lilting chant, circling Germany.

She picked up her phone and waited for the video call to connect. Kol's face came into focus a moment later. He readjusted the angle so the light wasn't causing a glare and she saw graffiti come into focus behind him; snippets of what sounded like Hungarian reached her ears.

"Hey, I've narrowed it down to somewhere in Germany."

"Didn't you close in on San Francisco when you were looking for me?" He cocked an eyebrow. There was a hint of a smirk around his mouth.

"Until she stole Hope's painting she couldn't get a read on him at all," Elena leaned down so her face was in the frame.

"The Hollow's getting desperate," Elijah frowned, his eyes on the map.

"Odd," Kol's picture froze as the connection buffered. His voice continued on, though. "You've extracted and disposed of two pieces of her so she's half way to dead."

"You'd think she'd be weaker," Elena blinked at the frozen screen; the picture pixelated for a second before coming into sharp focus.

"Exactly my point," Kol nodded.

"The logic does stand up, but the fact remains that he and Rebekah are practically impossible to find via locator spells and phone calls." Lexa shifted so she was sitting cross legged on the floor and tilted her head. "I can't think of anyone else who would want to hide the Hollow from me."

"Nobody…" Kol prompted with raised brows. "You can't think of anybody at all?"

"You seem to have an idea," Elena pursed her lips.

"One," he nodded, glancing at something on the street. "What about the hybrid responsible for all of this?"

"Hayley?" Elijah frowned. "What witch in their right mind would help her?"

"Any member of the French Quarter coven," Kol rolled his eyes. The movement was nearly lost in the glare of sunlight. "They're not exactly fond of our family, but they do consider Hope one of their witches."

"We never should have consecrated mother," Elijah sighed.

"If I was there I would have talked you out of it."

"Sorry," Elena swallowed, but refused to bristle under Kol's sideways stare.

"Considering it was the only way to save the city and everyone in it I don't think you could have talked us out of it," Elijah shook his head. His hand landed on the small of Elena's back. "Also, you are alive again and she has apologized – twice now – so kindly cease with the snide comments and veiled threats."

"I don't think so," Kol shook his head. "It took ten years to get the apology, so it's going to take at least half of that before I forgive."

"As long as we have a timeline," Elena joked. She saw Kol suppress what looked like a smile as his eyes shifted away from her.

* * *

Her palms were sweating. Her heart was fluttering. Her eyes were darting. There was a sense of stone cold terror at the base of her spine that she couldn't explain. There was a voice in her head telling her to run far and fast.

The last time she had heard that voice the opera house had been burning and her father had nearly killed her brother. The last time she had been as afraid as she was now Mikael had been driving a sword through her brothers' chests moving from Finn to Kol before killing Elijah and Nik; he had moved in the order of those most likely to fight back first, Kol and Finn with magic and her other brothers with steel. She had been last, drowning in her terror; she was the daughter without magic or skill.

She hadn't known true fear since the night she had looked into her father's eyes and seen her death, but it was back now and there was no reason for it.

She stood frozen on the sidewalk, Manhattan's foot traffic moved around her; she was just another piece tree or bench decorating the Upper East Side. She even trembled in the breeze.

There was no logical explanation for her terror, no reason for the prickling at the base of her skull, but it's there all the same. She can't shake it.

All she wants to do is hop in the nearest cab and race to the airport, taking the first flight that will bear her away from the city she has started to consider a home – as much as a home as it can be without her family.

A hand landed on her shoulder. She jumped, heart in her throat.

"Ya alright?" Marcel frowned, a line between his brows. The usual grin, always on his lips, was replaced with a look of pure concern.

"I…" She held her throat, massaging her collarbone and feeling the chain, "… I feel like if I go inside I'm gonna die."

"Okay…" Marcel tilted his head, not sure where she was coming from. "There are only three things in the world that can kill you and most are under lock and key being guarded by your sister."

"Your bite can kill me," she crossed her arms, rubbing away the gooseflesh.

"Do you want me to stay out here?" His brows rose. "I'm the only thing anywhere nearby that can kill you."

She shook her head, grasped his hand. The thought of being alone when she walked through the door was terrifying. She didn't know who was on the other side, but it might as well have been Mikael with a stake, or Dahlia with ashes, or anyone of her enemies with stolen thorns that would end her life.

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to run," she stared up at the building.

"Then let's run." He moved as if to pull her away, but she stood her ground.

Her blue eyes narrowed, hard sapphires gleaming beneath the rising moon. Every muscle tensed up. She searched frantically for the snooze button on the alarm that blared in her mind.

"I am Rebekah-bloody-Mikaelson!" She gritted her teeth. "I don't run."

Marcel watched her fight and internal battle for several minutes before the resolve hardened her features. He wasn't sure whether she had won or lost when she pushed open the door to the building and strode towards the elevator, but it was her power walk so he took that as a good sign.

She tapped her foot impatiently until the silver doors slid open. Anxiety passed over her features as they rose upwards to the top floor, but she made no move to stop the elevator even though her fingers twitched to do it. She made no sudden movements, hesitant or otherwise, until they were standing outside the apartment door.

The voice he heard on the inside made him want to turn tail and run, but a glance at the flowers in the hall confused him.

They should have wilted.

* * *

"You know," Elena tipped her head back to stare up at the moon, "if Rebekah doesn't come home soon Kol just might win the race."

"I highly doubt he will find Niklaus before Rebekah returns home," Elijah chuckled.

"Hopefully she gets home soon," Lexa placed the painting in its folder with the utmost care, as if it were her most prized possession and not Hope's. "We're going to lose the full moon. At this rate I'll have to do the spell here which is not ideal because being beneath the full moon helps."

"There's roof access," Elijah pointed to the balcony. Lexa followed his gesture and spotted the fire escape that led up. "There's a garden up there as well. It's hardly on par with the Japanese Tea garden, but it does provide a connection to nature. Will that help?"

"It'll be better than doing it here…"

The sound of the door creaking open drew their attention from the balcony and the moon that was nearly at its apex.

Lexa didn't recognize the blonde in the door or the man at her side, but she knew the ring on her finger; it was the same one that adorned Elijah's hand. It was the same ring that Kol wore.

"You must be Rebekah," she smiled, glancing over her shoulder to the window. "I'd love to give you a full explanation, but we've only got about ten minutes before I lose the full moon, so…" she spun on her heel and pushed open the balcony doors and stepped outside, "… follow me."

Rebekah stared after the witch for a moment before ripping her eyes away and frowning at her brother.

The voice in her head wasn't telling her to run anymore. It was screaming at her to rip out the young woman's heart. It was shrieking in the back of her mind demanding she tear Elena's pretty head from her elegant throat. It begged her to slaughter both of them and bathe in their joined blood.

"I promise you, sister," he took a step towards her, "I will explain everything after, but right now I need you to go up to the roof with Elena and Lexa so they can banish the Hollow."

It spoke to the fact the Hollow was indeed weakening when his sister nodded and stepped outside with Elena; hesitation held her back for less than a minute.

Rebekah did her best to silence the voice in her mind because her brother was in front of her. He was there and nothing nefarious had happened. He was there, and the Hollow was not with him.

He was there so she followed Elena. In seconds they were standing on the roof watching the blonde she took for a witch place candles and pour a stream of water into a bowl. A black box completed whatever spell set up was underway and Elena beckoned her to stand over the open lid.

"I assume you're the one to thank for his memory," Rebekah frowned at the box. The voice in her head was back. 'Smash it' it seemed to whisper.

"And all of this," Lexa motioned to the box with a grin.

"I said stop him from digging," she fixed Elena with a glare.

"Actually you said 'take care of' him," Elena held out her hand for Lexa. "That's very different, and he didn't remember anything until after the Hollow was extracted."

Rebekah eyed the two women with shaking breath. She could hear her heart drumming in her chest. She fought the voice and took their offered hands.

"You'll explain after?" Rebekah stared down at the box; a voice screamed in her mind before she heard the answer.

Lexa's muscles tensed as she chanted. She pulled the magic out creating a circle of sorts; it started in Elena and poured out grappling with the piece of Hollow in Rebekah until it ripped free. The blue light flowed from Rebekah's open mouth easier than it had Kol. She thought she knew the reason; with Elijah the Hollow had been arrogant and not put up much fight until the end, with Kol it fought from the beginning, but with Rebekah that beginning fight was weaker.

She dropped to her knees and thought she might have just enough strength to make back down the ladder and collapse on Rebekah's pristine couch.

"Easier?" Elena watched the light pulse, shifting from blue to violet to crimson.

"And harder," Lexa stifled her yawn.

Rebekah rubbed her temples to ease the migraine and looked down in time to see the box sparkle like blood. For the first time in what felt like years she was weightless, she was floating.

"What did you do?" Her eyes flitted from Elena to the witch. With a jolt she realized she still didn't know the woman's name.

There were dark circles under their eyes. She wasn't sure about the witch but Elena looked like she could use a litre or two of fresh blood, a hot bubble bath and a good night's sleep.

"I took out the Hol…hol…hol…" Lexa gave up and succumbed to her yawn.

"I guess getting rid of it tonight is out of the question?" Elena rubbed at her eyes.

"I think I've got just enough energy to get down the ladder." Lexa stood on shaking legs and immediately stumbled.

Elena caught her but staggered under the weight of her friend. Rebekah surged forward and caught them both.

Elena gave up Lexa and let Rebekah pick her up as if she weighed nothing. She bent for the box and blew out the candles; her movement was lethargic.

"I can walk Rebekah," Lexa lifted her brows.

"Maybe you can…"

"Lexa," Elena supplied.

"… Lexa, but I'm not gonna let you fall off the ladder," Rebekah rolled her eyes.

Elena followed her when she jumped over the side of the roof and stumbled on her landing. Strong arms wrapped around her waist before she could fall over. She looked up as Lexa was placed on her feet to see Elijah's dejected expression.

"It didn't work," he frowned.

"No," she shook her head, "it did work. I've just got a little more energy this time." She held up the glowing box as evidence.

"Oh," he took the box from her hands, a playful smile on his lips, "how much energy?"

"Enough for this coming conversation," she smirked, accepting the quick kiss to her cheek. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed and use his chest as a pillow.

"Marcel," Rebekah steered the young witch towards her boyfriend, "would you show Lexa to one of the guest rooms?"

"Sure," he offered Lexa an arm.

She hesitated before taking the help.

"So," Rebekah perched on an armchair as her brother took the sofa with Elena, "start talking."

* * *

He had been concerned that the rumors were old, but Lexa's locator spell had confirmed some of the quieter whispers he had heard over the last few days. The thought that Nik would go to ground and actually attempt to disappear was not uncommon, but it appeared he was actually somewhere in the city.

There were rumors of murder and mayhem on the Eastern side of the Berlin Wall, and he recognized a few of the names of the dead.

If he had to hedge a guess he would have say it was Nik's paranoia making itself known through an endless list of enemies who might have had long memories.

"He could have tried being nicer to people," Kol breathed, standing outside the silent mansion, "or at least left fewer survivors." His eyes found the source of the blood he could so clearly smell: three dead bodies.

He wondered if there was anyone inside alive, and the reception he would receive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought Rebekah would be easier because they had the address and she saw her brother right away with no negative effects. Unlike Kol she wasn't greeted by a stranger, but by the brother she thought she would never see again and the doppelganger he loves who would do anything to help the people she cares about.


	14. Chapter 14

"You've got a lot of nerve," Klaus dropped a still warm heart on the corpse, "showing up now."

Kol stepped over a rapidly cooling body, cocking his head to the side. There was a heart hammering to his left behind the wall at the back of a fireplace.

"I thought I'd get a better reception than Elijah," he jammed his hands in his pockets. "You could have saved me the trip by answering your phone."

"Funny you should mention answering a phone," Klaus's eyes narrowed. "You couldn't be bothered with it." He flashed to the fireplace, pushing a hidden panel that opened the door. "Where the bloody hell were you…?"

Kol pulled the young man from his brother's grasp before he could end the human's life. His pupil's dilated when he caught the man's gaze.

"Leave now and forget everything you've seen or heard tonight." He watched the man run off and sighed. "Now to answer your question," he turned back to Klaus. "I was right there, standing on the other side of the spell."

"I think you'll find my memory is not that short," Klaus glared at him.

"No, it's not," Kol agreed, "but it has been magically altered. There is a very talented witch traveling with Elijah and Elena. She has removed and disposed of two pieces of the Hollow," he checked his watch. "As we speak she is extracting a third piece from Rebekah."

"You're lying."

"Why would I lie about that?" Kol smirked. He couldn't help it. Klaus's default setting was crippling paranoia, but his was arrogance. "Lexa, that's the witch, took the piece from me and locked it away. The place she put it meant that everyone forgot that chunk of the Hollow's soul ever existed. Now, if you're going to persist in doubting me that's fine, but I can prove myself. All you have to do is come back to the states with me. She'll fix you up during the next full moon and you can spend Christmas with Hope."

* * *

Hope tiptoed down the hall, tactfully avoiding the carpet that always laid in wait for students sneaking around in the middle of the night. She was pretty sure the teachers bunched up the rug at strategic corners after lights out because they were always smooth come morning. Everyone who tried to wander the school past curfew was always caught when they tripped and bumped into a wall or end table.

Hope had never been caught. Her eyesight was phenomenal and she suspected it was something she had gotten from her dad: a trait passed to her by her vampire genes. She could see every raised bump in the hall.

She hadn't quite memorized the squeaky floorboards yet. She knew the quiet path to the kitchens, the art room and the library, but her mission that night sent her in an entirely different direction, so she tiptoed.

Her heart hammered in her chest with each careful step into the boy's dormitory. She had been there during the day so she knew the door she sought, but this part of the school was in need of a few repairs.

Her left foot came down when she was in arms reach of the door. She cringed. Her toes made the worn floorboards squeak.

She stole glances over her left and right shoulders, expecting someone to come rushing out at any moment and scold her before sending her back to bed, but nobody came.

The only response to the squeak was a low howl coming up from the basement.

She hurried the rest of the way and rapped on the door as quietly as she could, but the sound seemed to echo in the empty hall.

A minute passed, two, three; the hair on the back of her neck was on end. She glanced over her shoulder again when she gave a second knock and stumbled forward through the open door. Her knuckles grazed something soft, and she had to bite her lip to keep from shrieking in surprise.

She stumbled into the room and shut the door, remembering at the last minute to be gentle so it wouldn't slam.

Her bag slipped to the floor with a soft thump.

"Hope?"

She turned to see Landon rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Wha…" he trailed off in a yawn and looked over his shoulder, peering blearily at glowing red letters of the alarm clock. "…s… two…"

"I know," she offered a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry, but I need your help." She flipped open the top of her bag.

Landon blinked at the contents, not quite comprehending what he was seeing until she started pulling out things that he had seen in the Chemistry of Magic classroom.

"You want to do a spell?" He slowly came awake. "Isn't that against the rules?"

"Only if I get caught," she smirked, tilting her head to the right. She spotted her reflection in the mirror behind him and her breath caught because her expression was so familiar and it tugged at her heartstrings.

"How am I supposed to help?" His eyes narrowed.

Hope took his question as his agreement and started setting up. She rolled up the area rug and tossed it on Raf's bed – at least she assumed it was Raf's bed because it was still made. Once that was done she knelt on the floor and placed a metal bowl in front of her.

"I need you to make sure the candle stays lit," she sprinkled herbs from a plastic bag into the bowl.

"That's it?" He frowned, dropping to sit across from her. He watched her place a candle and pull a glass bottle from her bag.

"For the first spell," Hope nodded. She poured iron powder over the herbs.

Landon watched her prep the spell for a few more minutes, marveling over how much his life had changed during the last few months. Never in his wildest dreams would he have pictured himself sitting with an actual witch in the middle of the night while she did some sort of spell that was clearly against the rules.

"Hope," he ventured after a few moments of quiet, "what exactly are you doing?"

She hesitated before glancing up. He saw something he hadn't seen before in her eyes. There was an intense vulnerability in her gaze coupled with fierce determination.

"I'm scared if I tell you…" she chewed her bottom lip, "… you won't help me."

"I'm your friend, Hope," he smiled encouragingly, "I'd help you commit arson if that's what you wanted to do."

A small laugh bubbled up in her throat.

"That's not it though, right?" He laughed with her. "I'll do it, but I happen to like the school and you and Raf, plus it might upset Elena."

"It's not arson," she pushed her hair behind her ears, "I promise. I just… I think my mom is hiding something from me."

Landon tilted his head.

"I overheard something the other day in Caroline's office," she ran her fingers over her crossed legs. "I wanted to 'borrow' her phone and call my dad, but then a witch came in and they were talking about Elena and my uncle, and trying to find my dad and she took my painting."

"She stole your painting?" A line appeared between his brows.

"I'm hoping she borrowed it," her bottom lip trembled. "She wanted something to help find him, and the painting was the closest thing next to using me."

"Why didn't she just use you?"

"Because they're doing something," she swallowed and clarified: "the witch and my uncle, and Elena. They're doing something and as soon as someone knows about it – even the smallest detail – they can't contact him, they can't contact my dad. The witch…"

"Curly blonde hair and green eyes?" Landon met her gaze when she nodded. "That was Lexa. I met her when I met Elena and her brother. I think I might have meant your uncle too."

Hope reached into her bag and pulled out a notebook. Inside the front cover was a photograph that she really needed to get a frame for, but she liked having it nearby. She flipped it around so Landon could see it.

There were seven people poised in front of a tree. Blue glass bottles hung behind them from the branches. She saw his eyes land on her first and then lift to the row of people behind her; there was recognition when he passed over her aunt.

"I know him," he pointed, careful not to touch the glossy paper.

"That's my uncle Elijah," Hope nodded. She then pointed to the woman standing behind her in the photo. "That's my mom, and that's my dad." She pointed out the rest of her family quickly.

"Lexa," she tasted the name on her tongue, deciding she liked the sound, "said my mom had something to do with my dad having to leave, but she didn't know everything and when I called my mom she said she wanted me to meet her outside of the school and she'd tell me everything."

"So why didn't you go?" He tilted his head.

"Because of what Caroline said…" Hope trailed off. She had forgotten about the rules of the school and been addressing Caroline as her dad had that one time she had met her. "And what Lexa said to. She got Caroline to spell the school so my mom couldn't enter because uncle Elijah was scared she'd try and take me away."

"I want to know what she's hiding from me, so can you please watch the candle?" She smiled hopefully.

He nodded and watched her extend her hands over the bowl. She started to chant in a language he didn't know and the candle lit. He heard her inhale sharply and he knew she wasn't in her mind anymore.

* * *

Hayley paced over the leaves that crunched beneath her boots. She had learned from Vincent and later Davina that the time between spells was a month as the extraction could only be done on the full moon. For the life of her she couldn't remember why Davina had called or how she had even known about it and a second call to the young witch had only managed to muddle matters further. All she knew was that Kol had left her and Davina was not happy about it. She had gone back to her vampire hating ways – with the exception of Hayley – and had flown to meet her in Virginia.

She cast the brunette a glance but maintained her furious pace that threatened to break through the earth and into the network of tunnels that ran the length of the town.

"Anything?" She bit out the word. It took every ounce of strength not to pounce on her ally. Davina was the only one she had left. Freya had made it clear she would not help, and Vincent claimed he had a sense of self-preservation that would not allow him to aid her.

She rubbed her forearm and waited. It was a moment before Davina looked up and nodded towards the iron gate.

Hayley flashed over and gripped the bars, fingers curling around the metal. She didn't get a chance to try and push open the gate. A great burning sensation moved through her, blistering her palms.

She jumped back and turned to glare at Davina as her hands healed.

"I thought you had it," she gritted her teeth.

"I was wrong," she sat back on her knees. "The spells keeping you out are strong, and I don't exactly have a coven to draw on up here, and most of my energy is spent maintaining the other spell you wanted from me."

There was a rustle of wind that stirred her dark hair. Davina tugged the locks into a messy ponytail and frowned at the space behind Hayley. There was something off about it, but she shook off the feeling; magic clung to the air around the school so it wasn't out of the question for it to have wandered outside of the gates.

"How is the other spell?" Hayley sighed, leaning over the map.

"Still in effect," she started packing up her other ingredients. "The hollow is cloaked and anyone who knows what Elijah is doing and goes looking for someone holding a piece can't find them."

"Good," Hayley nodded. She glanced back at the gate but it didn't hold her attention long.

"Yes and no," she sighed. "My spell shifted. There's only one piece of it left."

Hayley's heart leapt into her throat.

"Who?"

"Rebekah," she folded the map. "According to Kol," her lip trembled for a moment before steadying, "she was residing in New York, and she just came back on the map."

"What happened with you and Kol, anyway?" Hayley frowned. She knew she wasn't going to get into the school that night so she could focus on Davina.

Her companion chewed her cheek and got to her feet, starting towards the car.

"He found out that you were responsible for what went down with the Hollow," she clenched her teeth, eyes hardening, "that you deliberately separated the Mikaelsons when there was another way. It seems that when push comes to shove he'll always choose family."

"But…" Hayley opened the driver's side door but braced her arms on the roof rather than climb inside, "… how did he find out? And why would he care? He didn't care enough to show up when we did the spell."

"I don't know," Davina huffed. "The point is that he found out I knew about it – somehow – and that caused a fight. It's a bit of a blur – arguing about you, and my part in it, and how I feel about vampires – but all I know is that by the end of it we had broken up, and he had taken off. I'm assuming to join in reuniting his family." She shook her head and dropped into the car. "I give it three months before he's got a dagger in his back."

"But how many months before they take the Hollow from Klaus?" Hayley started the car.

"They have to find him first," Davina reassured her. "We've still got time to get Hope out and for me to put a cloaking spell on you."

* * *

"Hey," his voice was too loud for the early hours of the morning, "hey," he repeated shaking her shoulder.

Landon gave Hope one last shake before admitting defeat. No amount of shaking or talking was going to pull her mind back to her shaking body. He didn't know anything about magic. He didn't know how to pull her back.

All Landon knew was that tears were streaming down her cheeks, and he couldn't help her if she couldn't hear him. His eyes landed on the candle, flickering in the middle of his floor.

He swallowed and prayed to anyone that might be listening before leaning down and blowing out the flame.

For one long moment nothing happened and he held his breath.

He was just getting ready to jump up and race for one of the older students or any teacher when she slammed back into her body with a gasp.

"Hope," he took her shaking shoulders, "are you okay?"

She shook her head and tried to reign in her tears but it was no use. Her body shook with violent sobs. She let Landon pull her into a hug and stared at the discarded family photo, her eyes drawn to the woman she wasn't sure she knew anymore.

Her tears subsided after a few minutes. She reminded herself that she was a Mikaelson and that Mikaelsons did not cry.

"I have to do one more spell," her voice wavered over the words.

"You look exhausted," he tried to reason with her. "Could it wait until tomorrow night?"

"She could get into the school by then," Hope shook her head. "She could take me away." She took a shaking breath before telling him what she'd heard outside the school gate. "I've gotta find my dad," she whispered when she was done.

"Okay," straightened the candle she had knocked over, "what do you have to do?"

"Steal some supplies from the chemistry lab."

Five minutes later the two of them were sneaking through the corridors and slipping into the classroom. Ten minutes later they were back in Hope's room. Landon took a minute to look over the half-finished drawing on her nightstand while Hope readied her second spell.

He knelt on the rug when she said she was ready and frowned at the page she had opened to in her book.

"That looks complicated," he traced a spiral with his finger.

"It's an astral projection spell," she took a knife from her bag and saw Landon pale. "I have to add a few drops of my blood to the herbs to help me focus."

"Where do I come in?" He swallowed when she pricked the tip of her finger.

"I don't know where my dad is, and I can't use a locator spell to find him so I'm gonna be wandering the astral plain searching for my family. I need you to ground my body." She held out her hands and took a deep breath when his palms met hers.

Closing her eyes she began to chant.

"Demitte moi, demitte moi…"

* * *

It never ceased to amaze her, no matter how many times she made the trip, it was always the same. Day or night, the other side was always bathed in blue. She was looking at the world through a camera lens.

The colour was meant to be relaxing, but there was something about this place that put a person in mind of the unknown depths of the ocean rather than the gentle lapping waves. There was danger around every corner, loneliness in every step.

She knew the other side would never collapse and even if – on the off chance – it did everyone and everything inside would be sucked into Hell or find peace. Either way, the Hollow would never break back into the land of the living.

She kept her head down on the path to the Hudson. She would have liked the ocean but that was a little too far to walk on foot and prolonged exposure to the other side was never a good idea. She had made sporadic visits over the last few years to finish learning everything she needed to know about Triad and the lost supernatural species, but everyone had been cut short. The longest she could stay was an hour before it began to take a toll on her body, seventy-five minutes and her mind began to follow, but the other side was the only place to learn it all; the golem's power did not extend to the dead.

On the pier she stared out at the choppy water for a moment that might have lasted seconds or precious minutes before shaking herself from the melancholy and ripping her eyes from the spot where the box was sinking beneath the waves.

The other side was the most dangerous location to leave a piece of it. She had no way of knowing how many doppelgangers might be lingering in the wings; it was unlikely any of them would ever think to release one of the world's greatest evils, but a witch might get the thought in their head and if they spun it right they might even get some willing blood, so she needed to be careful. That was why a walk that should have taken five minutes had lasted nearly thirty as she kept to the slow shuffle dead supernaturals seemed to favor so that nobody would rightly assume she was a member of the living.

* * *

"What's taking her so long?" Rebekah frowned at the witch on her living room floor.

Elena watched her friend's face. A muscle ticked in Lexa's cheek making her heart skip a beat. A glance at her watch had the blood draining from Elena's face; the blonde had been on the other side for nearly an hour.

"It's the only place where another doppelganger might be found," she met Rebekah's eyes, "she's probably just making sure nobody sees her." Elena was uncertain who she was attempting to reassure.

"What happens if she's there too long?" Marcel gripped the back of the couch.

"Physical and mental deterioration," Elijah hung up his phone. There had been no luck contacting Kol which led him to believe his youngest brother had found Niklaus.

"That would be bad," Rebekah's eyes narrowed, "since she still has to take the Hollow from Nik."

"She also happens to be a lovely person," Elena rolled her eyes. "How many other people would help Originals for nothing?"

Rebekah's eyes widened, turning on the young witch. She had assumed Elijah – or rather Elena on his behalf – had brokered some sort of deal with the woman that would hardly make a dent in the family holdings, or that involved some bloodletting on the doppelganger's part.

"She's not getting anything out of this?" She pointed a finger at Lexa, not quite accusing.

"Outside of life experience?" Elijah smirked.

"She hasn't asked for anything," Elena glanced at her watch. Five more minutes until they reached the one hour mark and she caved and called Bonnie to try and drag her newest friend back to her body.

* * *

Hope opened her eyes to the morning sun streaming through her bedroom window, and a friend nearly nodding off. He jerked up when she squeezed his hands.

"Sorry," his response came quick. He shook the beginning strains of sleep from his mind and focused on Hope. "Did you find him?"

She shook her head.

"I found Uncle Elijah and Aunt Rebekah," she swallowed, "and I found Aunt Freya, but I couldn't find my dad or Uncle Kol."

"Kol was the one you said had this… Hollow?" He blinked. His mind felt fuzzy from his sleepless night. "The one your mom said didn't show up for the spell?"

Hope nodded. From what she had overheard of her mom and Davina's conversation it had sounded like neither one of them remembered Kol coming forward for the spell that took the Hollow from her, but she knew he had been there; she had caught a glimpse of him before he ran off while she was still sleeping, and her mom had told her he was there. She had said they were all there.

"Maybe he's still got a piece… like your dad," Landon covered his mouth to hide his yawn. "Maybe that's why you couldn't find him."

"Maybe," she murmured.

* * *

Elena dropped to her knees when Lexa gasped, jerking upright from her slouched over position. She breathed a sigh of relief when the blonde nodded to indicate she was alright.

"You're not going back to the other side again, right?" Elena caught a glimpse of her watch; she had returned with a minute to spare. "That was a little too close for comfort."

"Can't go losing your prized witch," Lexa smirked.

"You're far too valuable to be lost," Elijah joked, offering her a hand. "You're the first person in centuries to keep Kol's ego in check."

"What did she do to Kol?" Rebekah frowned. "When did she even meet Kol?"

Elena and Elijah exchanged a look, remembering that they were the only ones who knew of the fourth piece of the Hollow.

"I knew we forgot to tell her something," Elijah steadied Lexa.

* * *

Hope jumped when an elbow nudged her arm. Her head had nearly landed in her scrambled eggs before she'd been snapped out of her daze.

"I know why I'm so tired," Rafael smiled, eyes darting from Hope to Landon whose nose was precariously close to his pancakes, "why are you?"

"It's a long story," Hope sighed. Her eyes caught sight of blonde curls at the entrance to the dining hall. She jumped to her feet and mumbled an excuse before running down the aisle between the tables.

Caroline spun on her heel and fixed Hope with her stern look.

"There are rules against running inside, you know?" Her headmistress mask dropped instantly when she saw the look in the child's eyes. "What's wrong?"

Hope fidgeted. Her eyes dropped from Caroline's concerned face to the floor; she stared at the hardwood while working out what to say, unknowingly reminding Caroline of her dad. Her small mouth puckered in thought as her blue eyes clouded over.

The expression tugged at her heartstrings, more potent on a child's face.

"Hope," she knelt so she was on the girl's level and took her elbows, "has something happened?"

"I…" she peeked up through her lashes, "… I saw my m… my mom last night. She was… was outside the gates."

Caroline decided to bypass the question of how Hope knew that, already figuring she'd find the remains of a spell in the youngest Mikaelson's bedroom.

"She probably got here late and forgot the gates…"

"She sent my dad away," Hope interrupted. Her eyes met Caroline's in an intense stare.

She was surprised when they didn't glow gold.

"I tried all night to find him, and I couldn't."

"Hope…" Caroline tilted her head. "How did… how did you find out about any of this?"

"I snuck in your office," she admitted, "and hid under the desk."

"Was this when I had a visitor?" Caroline sighed when she nodded. "You weren't supposed to hear that. They've been trying to keep you out of it so you could talk to him."

"Now I can't," Hope blinked. Traitorous tears prickled behind her eyes and her sleepless night was not helping her to control them.

Caroline took a deep breath and nodded.

"Hope," she waited until she met her eyes. "I want you to go back to bed and sleep; I'm going to call your uncle and tell him what's happened."

"What about…?" Hope clamped her mouth shut before she could reveal her middle of the night companion.

"Somebody helped you?" Caroline cocked an eyebrow. She supposed it made sense; whatever spell Hope had used would have required an anchor, and the girl only had two real friends at the school. "Go back to bed. I'll send Landon to get some sleep too. You're both excused from classes today."

"How did you know?"

"Because Rafael was in the wolf cells all night," she sighed. "Go on now," she stood, steering Hope towards the stairs, "back to bed."

Hope made it to the bottom step before turning back around.

"Caroline," her voice was small, exhaustion keeping her from calling her headmistress Miss Forbes.

"Yes, sweetie," she paused at the entrance to the dining hall.

"Are we in trouble?"

Caroline's eyes darted from Hope to Landon – who was practically laying in his breakfast – and shook her head. How could she punish a girl who just wanted to see her father, or the friend who had helped her?

"Go back to bed, Hope," she closed her eyes for a second. "Just don't go telling anyone about your midnight activities."

Hope nodded and took the stairs to the dorms.

Caroline watched her round the landing before stepping into the dining hall and making her way to her newest students. Her hand came down on Landon's shoulder making the boy jump.

"It's alright," she kept her voice low.

"G'morning Miss Forbes," he tried to hide his eyes.

"Good morning," she chuckled, "and good night. I want you to head upstairs and go back to bed." She waved her hand when he hesitated. "Go on, before I change my mind and start issuing detentions."

He slid off the chair, a little unnerved by her knowing smile, and turned towards the door.

Caroline glanced across the table.

"Somebody must have forgotten to tell you," she focused her eyes on Rafael. "Werewolves are excused from classes the morning after the full moon. Upstairs with Landon and get some sleep."

She flashed from the dining hall into her office when the boys were gone and reached for her cell phone. The first call she made to Klaus didn't go through, but she was unsurprised.

Elena answered within moments.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> This chapter didn't get crazy long, but I still split it in two because there was a natural stopping point in between. The next chapter should be up within the next twenty-four hours pending one last read through.
> 
> There is another chapter after that one (the epilogue), so two chapters left.

Outside the window rain fell, battering against the pavement, making the whole world slick. She had always found something magical in rainfall, especially when it was coupled with a light fog.

The small town of Mystic Falls was grey and dismal, and bleeding with the supernatural.

She tore her eyes from the window when she sensed the other chairs around the table being pulled out.

"Good morning or…" she gave a pointed look at her watch, "… should I say afternoon?" One eyebrow lifted in question.

"Sorry we're late," Rebekah draped her purse over the back of a chair. "We had to consult with Freya for a spell."

"That's a four vampire job?" Lexa's gaze slid from Rebekah and Marcel to Elena and Elijah. The youngest vampire flushed, her eyes sparkling with affection when she stole a glance at Elijah; he made no attempt to hide the way he was looking at her.

"Marcel and I were under the impression that you had company already," Rebekah cast her brother a curious glance, but quickly decided she didn't want to know how he had spent what she was sure was a lazy morning.

Elena's eyes dropped to the open folder in front of Lexa. A child's painting was on one side and a blank map on the other.

"No, I haven't had any luck," Lexa followed her eyes.

"What spell were you consulting Freya on?" Elijah turned his attention to his sister. He was still mildly surprised that she had elected to join them in Mystic Falls.

"One that might be needed," Rebekah turned her head enough to see the opening door, "depending on what our lunch companion has to say."

Elena looked beyond Rebekah's shoulders to where a blonde was closing an umbrella and dropping it in the stand; she shrugged out of her rain jacket and draped it over her arm on the path to the table.

"Hey Care," she greeted when her friend sat down. Her smile dropped when she read her best friend's expression. "Jumping right into it then?"

"I for one would love to know why we have been summoned to Mystic Falls," Elijah studied the headmistress, wondering if she had somehow heard from Niklaus.

Caroline crossed her arms over the table; her eyes flickered from Elijah to Rebekah.

"You niece went full on delinquent the other night –"

"Hardly a surprise given who her father is," Rebekah smirked.

Elena tried and failed to hide her giggle while Caroline glared.

"She's Klaus' kid. I was expecting her to be devious at some point in her school career," her forehead creased, "but the point isn't that she was breaking school rules by using magic after curfew. The point is the spell she used."

They paused for a moment when the waitress came over to take their orders. Lexa had thought they would need a little longer but it appeared everyone knew the menu like the back of their hands, and she had spent the last thirty minutes perusing it while stealing glances at her stationary spell.

"What spell did she use?" Elena leaned closer after the waitress left.

"Some sort of astral projection spell or spirit projection… I'm really sure," Caroline shrugged one shoulder. "Whatever she did she had to have an anchor on this plain – Landon helped her. She went looking for Klaus, but after the little snoop hid in my office and visited her mother first under the guise of invisibility she couldn't find him."

"She knows," Lexa breathed. She could practically feel the tension coiling around the table.

"I wish that was the least of your problems." Caroline sighed. She chewed her bottom lip and leaned back in her chair. She wasn't proud of how she had gotten all of the information she was about to divulge, but Hope had been asleep and not sure of everything she had heard; her emotions had made her omit details without thinking about it, so Caroline had dipped into the young witch's mind.

"Hayley has been trying to break through the gates for about a week now," she admitted, "ever since you left for Rebekah, but she was having no luck. That's primarily because the witch aiding her is expanding most of her energy on a spell to conceal the Hollow from being located via magic or technology."

"Then it might be time to call up Freya," Rebekah inhaled sharply. She had once considered Hayley a friend of sorts, but any sentimental feelings were muted by her anger. The she-wolf had tried to take Hope away more than once, always under the guise of protecting the child. Part of Rebekah was beginning to suspect that the only reason she had saved them all after Marcel took his revenge fueled power trip was because she had fancied herself in love with Elijah and to save the noble brother she had to save them all.

Lexa cleared her throat, gesturing to herself with a finger.

"I'm right here," she looked between the vampires. "If you want to call your sister go ahead, but you've got a witch right here. My only objections would be to murder, but she's still your niece's mother so I doubt that's where you're going with this."

"It's not," Rebekah shook her head. As much as she wanted to maim the hybrid for what she had inflicted on their family, a separation that might have continued had Elijah not bumped into Elena, she wouldn't. She knew the pain of losing a mother and no matter how ostracized Hayley had made herself and no matter what Hope had overheard Hayley was still her mother.

"What exactly are you thinking Rebekah?" Elijah tilted his head. He had been attempting to come up with a suitable punishment that would not be noticed by Klaus in an attempt to spare Hayley's life or one that would satisfy his brother on the very likely odds he got wind of her treachery.

"We can't exactly put the information before custody lawyers so I propose a custody arrangement of our own. Supervised visitation once a month, assuming Hope consents to seeing her mother, reinforced by a curse."

"The crescent curse?" Marcel brow furrowed.

"What's the crescent curse?" Lexa's voice echoed Elena's.

Elijah exchanged a look with Rebekah before turning to explain how Marcel had gotten a witch to 'cleanse' the French Quarter decades before by flipping nature around on the werewolves.

"So it's a reverse werewolf curse?" Elena tilted her head.

"She'll be a wolf for most of the month," Rebekah nodded, turning her gaze to Lexa. "Could you do it?"

"I remember most of the spell," Marcel interjected. "I could talk you through what Brynn did, and I'm sure you could fill in the blanks. Any witch capable of disposing of the Hollow shouldn't have a problem with this."

"It would have the added benefit of keeping Hayley from trying to break through the school gates," Caroline pursed her lips.

"What about the witch?" Elena tucked her hair behind her ear. "She's got an ally somewhere in town."

"I'd never seen her before," Caroline shook her head. She felt their eyes on her and realized what she had said. "I took a look at Hope's memory to make sure I had all of the details. I'd never seen the witch, but she's young. I'd say in her twenties with brown hair, blue eyes, and doll like features. Hayley called her…"

"Davina," Rebekah took a deep breath.

"Kol's Davina?" Elena's question went unanswered in favor of Marcel's outburst.

"Leave Davina out of this!"

"She's already involved herself," Elijah reasoned. He squeezed Elena's hand under the table. His eyes narrowed when Marcel's flooded with red. "Control yourself, Marcellus. This is not New Orleans."

Marcel took a deep breath, reining in his features before he could draw further attention to their table.

"I think it's clear Davina is untouchable," Rebekah ventured after a moment of tense silence. "At least her life is," she went on, glancing at Marcel. "We do need her magic to be cut off though."

"I can do that," Lexa swallowed. She felt five sets of inquisitive eyes on her. "My coven has a spell in case a witch goes… coo-coo. It essentially block's a witch's link to their magic, and halts all on-going spells."

"She would be alive, but not a witch?" Rebekah's brows drew together.

"Technically she'd still be a witch," Lexa's nose crinkled. "I can't take away something she was born with, but I can keep her from using it. All I have to do is find her to cast the spell."

* * *

"For the record I'm not okay with this," Marcel crossed his arms, eyeing the car that came to a stop outside the library.

"The way I see it Marcel," Lexa tucked a curl behind her ear, "this is the only option that lets her live. Isn't it?"

"It is," he nodded, "Klaus will kill her, and if we turn her she'll never complete the transition so she'll die anyway. It's the only option that let's Davina live, but that doesn't mean I like it."

"Is that her?" She nodded to the brunette as she locked the car. From the corner of her eye she saw the vampires nod. "Great, wait here; I'll be back."

She jogged across the street and slipped into the dark building a few minutes after Davina. Her eyes adjusted to the interior quickly before she spotted the brunette in the music section. She was perusing the selection of jazz when Lexa caught up with her.

"Hi," she tilted her head, smiling, "are you Davina Claire by any chance?"

She saw the wide blue eyes harden, the slim fingers twitch. She felt the air shift around them and knew she had the right woman before she nodded with a terse reply.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Lexa," she held out her hand to shake, gripping the slim fingers when they were in her palm, "a friend of the Mikaelsons."

Davina didn't get a chance to pull away before Lexa whispered harshly in Latin. Her heart fluttered in her chest as her breath caught in her throat. She pulled back her hand as if she had been burned and fixed Lexa with frosty glare.

"What did you do to me?" Inside she felt an emptiness that she had never known; something was missing.

"I showed you the mercy Klaus Mikaelson never would have," she smiled sadly. "Now maybe you could help and tell me where to find Hayley Marshall."

"Probably out running through the woods," Davina frowned. A line etched between her brows as she tried to figure out what had been done; she realized it a moment later when Lexa walked out of the library.

* * *

Elena flipped open the suitcase she hadn't bothered to unpack yet and started sifting through the clothes with one hand. Her other hand was busy readjusting the knot in her towel.

She tugged out a pair of skinny jeans and a dark green sweater, but before she could reach for underwear she felt hands on her hips.

"I've got a habit of catching you in nothing but a bath towel," warm breath fanned over her shoulder, "are you sure you wouldn't rather wear this all day?"

She tilted her head for the chaste kisses he placed on her shoulders and throat; they were little more than a soft brush, but her abdomen still clenched almost painfully.

"I think you're the only one who appreciates this look," she spun in his arms, arching her neck to place a soft kiss to his cheek. "I'd probably be arrested for public indecency if I went out like this."

"Well then," he smirked, "you'll just have to stay inside."

"Could you two be any more nauseating?" Rebekah's voice called up from the living room.

"Of course," Elijah grinned. He gave Elena no time to interject before pinning her to the bed, tugging her towel open and attacking her sides with wiggling fingers.

She squealed and tried to get away, and he could practically hear Rebekah's eyes rolling.

Elena gasped. Using her hips she flipped them over and straddled his waist, pinning his hands on the bed by his head.

"I think this might be a better look," his eyes roamed over her appreciatively.

"You would," she rolled her eyes, laughing. Her towel was forgotten on the bedspread.

Elena leaned down with the intention of kissing along his jaw and maybe nibbling on his ear in the spot that drove him wild but before she could get there her phone rang.

She reached for the device and felt Elijah's blunt teeth drag over her pulse point. His now free hands slid up her sides, thumbs brushing over her ribs.

"Ignore it," he nipped at her throat.

She moaned and nearly did just that before reading the caller ID. She planted her palm on his chest and used it to push him back against the mattress. She tapped the screen a few times in her haste to click the right button.

"Kol?"

_"It's about bloody time. I've been calling everyone on a loop for the last twenty-four hours since I found Nik."_

"If you've been with Klaus then you were probably second hand cloaked."

_"I'm assuming that spell is long gone now. Where shall we meet you?"_

"At the moment we are in Mystic Falls," Elijah sat up.

"At my family lake house," Elena added.

_"What was wrong with your actual house?"_

"I burnt it to the ground about a month after…" she trailed off, pressing her lips together.

 _"After your brother shoved a white oak stake through my heart?"_ She heard him laugh on the other end of the line.

"Have we moved on to joking now?" Elena cocked an eyebrow.

_"We're getting closer. The cloaking spell is done, did you figure out what witch was helping her?"_

"Would you believe it was Davina?" Elijah sat up. He took the phone from Elena and put it on speaker. "Where is Niklaus?"

_"Readying the plane; all we were waiting for was a location. Now that I have one I'll let him know and we'll land in Richmond as soon as possible."_

"He believed you then?" Elena frowned; after the events of San Francisco she had been a little worried.

_"Nik hasn't believed a word out of my mouth in centuries, and the fact that he has no memory of my part in the Hollow's first extraction doesn't help. He agreed to come back though, and he'll be more open to what I've said when he's in a room with you and Rebekah."_

"You'll be flying from Germany to Richmond, and then driving to Mystic Falls, so that gives us sixteen hours to find Hayley before Niklaus arrives."

_"She's there?"_

"It's a long story," Elijah sighed.

_"Best save it for another day then; Nik's coming back and the last thing I want to deal with right now is a murderous hybrid."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop off a review! :) I adore them.
> 
> Keep an eye out because next chapter we catch up with Hayley.


	16. Chapter 16

Midnight found the group splitting up around the school perimeter. The older vampires had split up and scattered around the woods to search alone since they had the best chance of subduing Hayley and bringing her back to a place for Lexa to meet them.

Lexa and Elena had taken off together. The young witch had determined that she could use Elena in lieu of the full moon that was weeks away to enact the curse that would hopefully pacify Klaus when he learned what the traitorous mother of his child had done.

Elena cocked her head to the left after they had been walking for several minutes. Somewhere in the distance she could hear the telltale sign of two heartbeats.

“Over there,” she motioned east. “If I run ahead to check can you catch up?” She took off when Lexa nodded.

Seconds later she came to a stop beyond the tree line to see Hayley arguing with a young woman she assumed was Davina.

“I can’t help you anymore,” Davina shook her head. Elena thought she saw tears shimmering in her eyes.

“Why the hell not?” She could see it was taking everything Hayley had not to shriek. “You hate Klaus, so help me get my daughter away from him.”

“I can’t Hayley,” Davina shook. Elena didn’t know if it was rage or sorrow making her limbs tremble. “The Originals know. They sent a witch after me, and she did something to my magic.”

Elena rocked back to hide behind the tree when Hayley spun to pace out her frustration; her foot came down on a dry twig. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before opening them just in time to see Hayley come to a stop in front of her.

“Well, well, well,” Hayley smirked, “if it isn’t the doppelbitch.” She grabbed her by the throat and hurled her through the air.

She barely missed Davina and crashed into the stone wall surrounding the school.

Elena gasped. She was on her feet in a flash, crouching in a defensive stance. She tried not to let her trepidation show when Hayley fixed her with a feral look.

“What is it with you doppelgangers?” She stalked towards Elena. “You can’t keep your nose out of other people’s business.”

She kept her eyes trained on the hybrid, sensing when Davina backed away clearing a small arena. She moved in a slow circle never allowing her back to be facing Hayley.

The hybrid flashed forward and threw a punch.

Elena ducked, sweeping her leg in an arch.

Hayley flipped out of the way, coming up on her feet. Her fist connected with Elena’s jaw.

She caught her balance, spat out a stream of blood.

“Maybe it’s not my business,” Elena admitted, wiping her chin, “but it’s important to Elijah…”

“Oh yeah,” Hayley scoffed, “Elijah…” she grunted, swinging her leg up and catching Elena in the stomach.

Elena lost her balance and fell onto her hands and knees. She went down when Hayley brought her foot down twice, and rolled onto her back as the internal injuries healed. She blinked up through bleary eyes as a heel settled over her heart; it wasn’t wood, but it would definitely hurt.

“You couldn’t wait to step in there, could you?” Hayley dug her heel through Elena’s breast; blood bubbled up around the stiletto. “Just between us girls…” she yanked back her leg and crouched, grasping Elena’s chin, “… who do you think he sees when he looks at you? Does he want Katherine, or is he still pining after the first one? You know he killed Tatia right?”

“I bet its Katherine,” Hayley smirked. “You’re certainly acting like her. Siding with the oldest vampire’s in history, worming your way into an Original’s bed. What is it you want?”

Elena’s vision flooded with red. Her body was still healing, but it didn’t matter to her in that moment; nothing mattered but shutting the hybrid up. She forgot her rule about avoiding Hayley’s mouth and brought her head up.

There was a sickening crunch as Hayley’s nose was broken. Elena used the distraction to push the woman over and pin her to the ground in nearly the same position she had held Elijah against her bed that afternoon.

“Let’s get something straight,” she squeezed her hands breaking Hayley’s wrists, “I am nothing like Katherine Pierce, and all I want is to help reunite a child with her father and end a separation that should have never taken place.”

“Oh,” Hayley huffed, “is that why you’re sleeping with Elijah? I can smell him all over you,” she lifted her head and sniffed, “and in you. You fed off him?” Her voice dropped to a growl. She had never shared blood with Elijah; she couldn’t without infecting him with a bite that Klaus may or may not have healed depending on his mood.

“That’s none of your business,” Elena glared. _Where the hell is Lexa?_ She didn’t dare let go long enough to break Hayley’s neck.

Hayley jerked her leg up and flipped Elena onto her back, plunging her hand into the vampire’s chest cavity.

She choked on her blood, felt it coat her lips and stared at the arm. Her fingers curled around the wrist to keep her from extracting the pounding organ.

She could feel Hayley’s fingers graze her heart with each frantic beat.

“Do you think you’re special?” She sneered as Elena struggled to breathe. “Do you think he loves you?”

“I think you’re jealous,” Elena rasped, clawing at the woman’s wrist, “and pathetic, and maybe one of the worst mothers I’ve ever met.”

“I’ve done everything for my daughter. I cleaned out New Orleans and made it safe,” Hayley gritted her teeth. Her canines descended, sinking into her bottom lip.

“Is that why she’s at a boarding school thousands of miles away?” Elena knew she was goading now, but it was keeping Hayley from tearing out her heart and the questions had been on her mind for weeks now. She could see the benefits of the school for young supernaturals, but she also knew that Hayley only called once a week and according to Caroline hadn’t been seen on campus since bringing Hope to school; most of her time was spent in New Orleans. “Is that why you only came up here when you thought Elijah was gonna tell Klaus?”

“Try to remember this is _my_ family!” She snapped.

“Yeah,” Elena laughed, the sound was wet with the blood in her mouth. “The family you tore apart with a spell you knew could have been done differently.”

Hayley tore her hand free. Elena gasped, coughed and turned her head to spit the blood from her mouth. When she looked back she saw the gleam of fangs rushing towards her throat.

She was going to throw her arms up to defend herself but Hayley clutched her head before she got close enough to sink her teeth into Elena’s jugular.

She scrambled out from under the hybrid and jumped to her feet. Spinning on her heels she saw the gleam of blonde hair in the darkness and heard the unmistakable sound of chanting. Lexa was crouched over the first bit of blood Elena had spat out.

She flashed to the witch’s side and extended her hand. The familiar pull of energy as it left her body washed over her and she watched as Hayley was forced to shift.

Her eyes went gold as she screamed and clawed at the dirt, but there was no stopping Lexa’s spell once it had taken affect.

Elena helped Lexa to her feet and held her breath as the woman was overtaken by the wolf. She narrowed her eyes when a golden gaze fell on Lexa. Without thinking she pushed the witch out of the way and felt razor sharp fangs sink into her forearm.

She stifled her scream and used all of her strength to break the cursed wolf’s neck.

Elena was still staring at the angry mark on her arm when the air rushed around her. She blinked up at the vampires while gingerly poking her wound.

“What kept you?”

Marcel ignored Elena altogether and paced around the clearing. His eyes were wide as he sniffed the air.

“Where’s Davina? She was here?” He turned an accusing stare on Elena, but Lexa answered her question.

“She ran off that way,” she pointed off to the right with a vague wave. “My guess is she knew she stood no chance here and wanted to avoid getting in the cross hairs of a vampire hybrid fight.”

Elijah took Elena’s arm and examined the wound with a critical eye, ignoring Marcel as he took off after Davina. Angry red lines extended from the bite upwards half-way to her shoulder.

“Do you think I’ll last till Klaus gets here?” She attempted a joke, but Elijah’s face remained grave. “Elijah?” She took his wrist; the marks spread upwards to her shoulder. Hayley was a hybrid in wolf form and her poison was working fast.

“No I don’t,” he shook his head.

“Oh,” her vision shifted, the world got a little blurry. “That’s not good.”

“You’ll be fine, lovely,” he cupped her cheeks. Glancing over his shoulder he gave the wolf a frosty look. “Sister, can you handle Hayley? I believe there is a cell in the old Lockwood cellar.”

“Consider it done.”

Elena didn’t get a chance to ask what he was planning before she was being scooped up. When the world came into a fuzzy focus she was being lowered onto a couch in the common room of the school and Caroline was rushing towards her in pink bunny pajamas.

“Love the look, Care,” she grimaced, holding her elbow.

“You should see the slippers that go with it,” Caroline managed a weak laugh. Her eyes watered when she saw the bite on her friend’s arm.

“Miss Forbes,” Elijah smoothed Elena’s sweaty hair from her brow, “I would be eternally grateful if you would fetch my niece. Her blood works in the same manner as her father’s.”

“I’ve got some in my office…” Caroline paused on her way down the hall, “… unless you want me to wake her.”

“The blood will be fine,” Elijah murmured.

Elena focused her eyes on him and tilted her head. She hadn’t quite made out their conversation through the echoes of a memory, or it might have been a hallucination – probably a hallucination since she was certain Katherine had never taunted her about Elijah.

“Elena…” he held her hand tightly. There was an intense set to her mouth that worried him.

“I love you,” she sighed.

“I love you too,” he chuckled, “but just so we’re clear elskede, you are not dying today.” He took the vial from Caroline when she rushed back in and tipped the contents into Elena’s mouth.

Elena blinked at her wrist as the skin knit back together and sat up.

“Now that this is taken care of,” he tapped her forearm, “would you kindly tell me why you’re covered in dirt and your own blood?”

She chewed her bottom lip and shrugged one shoulder.

“I got into a small cat fight with your ex.”

“Wouldn’t that be a dog fight?” Caroline quipped.

“You were fighting with Hayley?” Elijah shifted onto the couch beside her.

“In my defense she started it,” she held out her hands. “I was going to back away and go find Lexa or one of you, but I stepped on a twig and the next thing I know were throwing punches and verbal insults.”

She saw Elijah’s jaw clench, a momentary tick that meant he was angry and she knew it wasn’t directed at her; after his time without memory he had gotten in the habit of telling her what he was thinking and it had persisted after he got his memories back.

“I can handle Hayley, technically I am older than she is,” she smiled, omitting the bit where she had nearly lost her heart. She was confident she could have gotten out of that before the organ was ripped from her body.

“I just rushed you into the school because of her bite.”

“Okay,” Elena nodded, rolling her eyes, “I can handle her until the teeth come out, and there was a cure nearby.”

“You didn’t know that,” he pointed out.

“My other option was to let her rip Lexa’s throat out,” she sighed. “The instinct to run has kind of been stomped out of me.”

“It’s true,” Caroline perched on the coffee table, “she hasn’t run from a fight since turning her emotions off. She ran from the Salvatores but not a fight.”

“They were being so annoying,” Elena smirked. She tried not to think about her time without humanity too much. “But I do still run when I know I’m out matched.”

“So why didn’t you?” Caroline tilted her head.

“Because I wasn’t the one being attacked,” she shrugged, “I’d have done the same thing for you.”

“You probably would have,” Caroline agreed. She shifted her gaze to Elijah. “Do you still want me to wake up Hope?”

“Let her sleep,” he shook his head, “I’ll come back tomorrow and tell her what’s going on.”

“Not hiding it anymore?”

“She already knows part of it,” he ran a hand back through his hair, “she should have the full explanation, or at least the child equivalent of one.”

“Leave out the cat fight,” Elena grimaced, looking down at her clothes.

“Exactly,” he nodded.

“Just let me know when you get here,” Caroline stood from the coffee table, “and I’ll get her out of class.”

“That sounds like a dismissal,” Elena cocked an eyebrow.

“You’re covered in blood and dirt, and I’ve got werewolf students still metabolizing after the full moon who like to ‘sneak out’ after hours to the kitchens, so yeah ‘Lena. It’s a dismissal. Get out of my school, take a shower, and get a snack.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usual disclaimers.
> 
> I know, I know, I said this would be the last chapter, but guess what... it's not. I split it in two.

Elena worried her bottom lip and tapped the table. Every time she thought of the wolf pacing a cell in the Lockwood cellar she cringed. Cursing Hayley had never been her intention. She had been hoping to reason with her, but then Lexa had caught up to them and seen toxic teeth inches from Elena's neck.

Elena couldn't fault her friend for trying to help. She'd only known the one curse that would cause Hayley to immediately release her.

It was done now, and Elena didn't like it.

Klaus seemed delighted, and he had been since his siblings had broken the news when he arrived. He was anxiously awaiting the coming full moon and passing the time between facetime calls by prepping the old mansion for Christmas.

Elena was hesitant to voice an opinion to the hybrid while he still housed a piece of the Hollow. Unlike Elijah, she had no calming influence on the man.

"Were you planning on wrapping that present, or just staring at the paper?"

Elena dropped the scissors next to the box and leaned against the couch with a sigh. Her eyes zeroed in on the mug of blood when it was lowered in front of her.

"It's very pretty paper," her fingers curled around the mug. She took a long drink, savoring the combination of blood types.

Elijah dropped to sit beside her in a fluid movement and eyed the wrapping paper critically.

"It is beautiful," he conceded, "but hardly worthy of such devotion."

Elena cracked a weak smile before taking another drink.

"What is it you're wrapping now?" He watched as she leaned forward and tapped the box.

"Leather notebook for Landon – Caroline says he likes to write poetry on any scrap of paper he can find." She pointed to a long narrow box. "That's a set of charcoal and paints I picked up while we were in France for Jeremy, and everything else is pretty much under the tree, but that's not what you wanted to ask me."

"I wanted to ask what is bothering you," he chuckled, having long since excepted that she could read his intentions, "but I sensed you weren't ready to talk about it."

"Is Klaus here?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"He's wrapping presents at the mansion."

"Do you mean to tell me he hasn't compelled a hoard of minions to do that?" Her lips lifted in a teasing smile.

"I think he roped Kol into helping, but no," Elijah smirked. "He's is doing his own Christmas wrapping this year. Caroline insisted; something about the repetitive motions quelling his rage."

"Two psych classes in college and suddenly she's a shrink," she shook her head fondly.

"It seems to actually be helping." Elijah picked up the scissors and neatly finished wrapping the boxed present.

Elena watched his long fingers shift the gold paper and tilted her head.

"It's Hayley," she cleared her throat when he paused. His eyes landed on her, waiting for her to continue. "She's pacing a cell right now like some kind of animal." She paused when a voice cut her off.

"Technically she is one."

"I thought you were at the mansion?" Elena spotted Kol on the back deck. He was sitting across from Lexa who was wrapped in a plaid blanket shaking a mason jar full of a green liquid.

"The company hear is better," he smirked, eyes sliding to the blonde in the deck chair.

Elena was pretty sure she saw Lexa blush and Kol's smirk turn to a grin.

"Did you know he was out there?" She turned to Elijah who shook his head.

"I was working on a new privacy spell," Lexa cleared her throat.

"What about Hayley is bothering you, lovely?" Elijah finished wrapping the gifts as Kol and Lexa joined them inside.

Elena bit down on her cheek. She knew Elijah would listen to her and not get upset with her opinion, but Kol had always been a wildcard. She decided to go on though feeling confident Klaus – with the Hollow – was the only Mikaelson who might have started a physical altercation.

"I just don't like that she was cursed," she lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug, and saw Lexa's cheeks flush. She had a feeling her newest friend wasn't happy about it either. "I get you went through with it in the moment," her eyes met Lexa's, "but I don't like it. She's been subjected to that once already, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's one of the reasons she did all of this."

"Would you have rather we compelled a judge?" Kol cocked an eyebrow.

"I would have rather done something that didn't involve cursing her," Elena crossed her arms. "Hasn't your family dealt enough with black magic?"

"Even if they came to some sort of custody arrangement," Elijah attached the tags she had written out earlier, "There would be nothing keeping Hayley or Niklaus from breaking it."

"You'd never get Nik to agree to something like that, darling," Kol smiled sadly, "his paranoia is crippling, so even if Hayley agreed to alternating school holidays or weekends Nik wouldn't trust her not to run off with Hope the first chance she got."

"What if she didn't have a choice?" Lexa spoke up, fingering the edge of the jar in her hands. "What if neither of them had a choice but to follow whatever agreement they could reach?"

"Is this meant to help with that? You've had it brewing since before I got here." Kol plucked the jar from her hands.

"No," she shook her head, "that is the cure to the Crescent curse." She squared her shoulders when the each vampire turned a questioning look on her. "Elena's not the only one with scruples. I only did it because she was attacking Elena and it was the spell I had been going over all day."

* * *

She brushed her palms together, stepping over a lump in the carpet and taking a wide step around a squeaky floorboard. She could hear the distant sound of scuffling as it drifted up from the basement and knew if she got a little closer to the door she'd be able to hear growling and maybe even low howls, but she didn't want to hear that tonight.

She didn't want to see the wolves and think about how one day that could be her. She didn't want to think about every bone in their bodies breaking and reshaping because if she did she would think about how werewolves had come to be and if she thought about the Hollow's curse then she would think about how she had affected her family more than a thousand years later.

She didn't want to think about that.

All she wanted to think about was the spell that was happening at that moment. It was the only thought that raced through her mind, but the intensity of it had pushed everything else from her head; she couldn't even consider sleeping.

"I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be in bed."

She stiffened when she heard the low voice and turned slowly to tip her head up and meet her headmistress's eyes. Emotions flickered over her face too quickly for Hope to process.

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted, shrugging her thin shoulders.

Caroline sighed, torn between her headmistress duties and how she knew Hope must be feeling. She knew she had a soft spot for the little girl; she wouldn't have hunted down a wayward parent for any of the other students in the school unless it was Ric that went off the rails.

She glanced out the window towards the moon and came to a decision.

"Come with me," she steered Hope around by the shoulder.

Hope's slippers skidded over the floor. She saw no reason to keep quiet now that she had been caught. She stared at the carpet as she was steered through the school, certain she was being led to the office where her uncles or aunts would be called and informed of her midnight adventure, or where Caroline would issue detentions that would last the rest of her school career; maybe she'd be put on spell clean up.

She was too busy staring at her toes to see where they were going and so didn't see anything remiss until the rug turned to tile. She lifted her head and blinked at the stainless steel fixtures without really taking them in.

Caroline released her shoulder and pulled out a stool, patting the seat in an open invitation before moving to one of the cabinets.

"You're not gonna give me detention and put me back in bed?" Hope climbed up and took a seat, watching as Caroline poured milk, sugar and cocoa into a saucepan.

"What would be the point of that?" She glanced over her shoulder. "You'd just wander around again later, or pace your bedroom. Do you like marshmallows?" Caroline stirred the mixture on the stovetop.

"What?" Hope blinked. She heard the concoction bubble and inhaled the sweet aroma that made her mouth water.

"Marshmallows," Caroline poured out the hot cocoa into two steaming mugs, "in your hot chocolate. Or would you prefer whip cream? I'm partial to whip cream, myself," she sprayed a dollop on top of one of the mugs, "and peppermint because it's Christmas. Do you like peppermint, Hope?"

She fixed the second drink when Hope nodded and set the mug in front of her. She then put the dirty dishes in the sink to soak before leaning over and bracing her elbows on the counter.

Hope stared at the swirl of whipped cream and crushed peppermint for a beat while Caroline sipped her own drink.

"I take it you're excited," she curled her fingers around her mug, "you'll get to see your dad soon, and not just on an itty bitty little screen."

"Yeah," Hope chewed her bottom lip.

"Do you not want to see your dad, Hope?" Caroline frowned. "You don't seem excited."

She didn't. Her shoulders were hunched over and her heart was fluttering wildly.

"I do," Hope looked up, tears shimmering in her eyes, "but what if it doesn't work? What if the spell doesn't work?"

Caroline reached out and took Hope's clammy hands, rubbed gentle circles into her palms and met her blue eyes.

"It's going to work. Lexa has already done this spell three times. She's gonna take the Hollow out of your dad, and soon all of it will just be a memory."

Hope managed a small smile. "You're nicer than my dad said." She could remember her dad telling her about Caroline when she first came to the school before he'd stopped calling the first time.

"Don't go telling everybody, okay?" Caroline grinned. "I've got to keep my big bad headmistress rep."

"Your heart's too big to be bad," she picked up her mug and sipped the hot chocolate. The hot liquid warmed her from the inside, chasing away the chill that had been there since waking up.

Caroline smiled and reached out to wipe the whipped cream from the tip of Hope's nose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Totally unrelated, but I'm trying to remember how many people vampire Elena killed. There was Connor (sirebond), Kol (who I argue was a result of the sirebond), the waitress (without emotions), and Matt (again without emotions and she was manipulated into it). Was there anyone else? I can't remember her ever killing anyone when she was in her right mind or in control of her own decisions.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, final chapter.

"Are you sure about this?" Lexa balanced the black box on her hip. Her eyes skipped over the stone steps that led up to a giant hole opening into the ground.

"Seems the best course of action," Elena nodded. "I thought you were all for custody agreements."

"I am," she worried her bottom lip, "but the last time you and Hayley were alone together she tried to take a chunk out of your neck. I'm sure one of the Originals could have done this."

"Klaus isn't the only one with a temper," Elena straightened the bag over her shoulder. "Elijah would have been the best bet, but after Hayley bit me…"

"You're a little worried he might lose his temper too," Lexa finished. She had clearly seen the rage in the Original's eyes that night.

"Yeah," she sighed, "do you want me to the cave first or…?"

"How much of a maze is it?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"A ridiculous one," Elena smirked, "of labyrinth proportions. I'm surprised we don't have a town Minotaur."

"Why don't I get this set up first?" Lexa tucked her hair behind her ear. "Then you can show me to the cave."

* * *

Hayley curled her fingers around the bars and pulled with all of her might, but the door would not come free. Her blood pounded in her ears blocking out all other sounds until a lantern pierced the darkness.

"Let me out of here," she snapped. Her eyes narrowed when she saw just who her full moon visitors were. "You've got a lot of nerve."

"I've got a lot of nerve?" Elena arched an eyebrow. "You attacked me, unprovoked I might add, and tried to bite me. You did bite me."

"I should have killed you," she sneered. "Come a little closer and I will."

"Now, now, girls," Lexa stepped up to the bars, "let's not fight. That's not why we're here."

Elena flipped the bag off her shoulder and held it out.

Hayley eyed the leather suspiciously.

"Blood and clothes," Elena sighed, making a point of not looking over Hayley's naked body. She let go when the bad was forcefully pulled from her hand.

"Does this mean you're gonna let me out?" Her eyes narrowed.

"It means you should put some clothes on and take the edge off your hunger before I get back," Elena shook her head. "I've been sent to negotiate."

"I thought Elijah was the dealmaker," she scoffed.

"Yes, well," Lexa smirked, the amusement didn't reach her eyes, "after what you did Elijah has a strong inclination to rip out your throat. Get dressed. Elena will be back in a few minutes to have a nice chat."

Hayley watched them disappear through a dark opening into the tunnels. She heard chalk scratching over stone for several minutes before there was nothing.

By the time Elena stepped back into the area outside of her cell she had dressed and downed all three bags of blood.

"You gonna let me out or what?" She crossed her arms, longing for a shower.

"Not yet," Elena shook her head. She came as close to the door as she dared, making sure to stay out of arm's reach of Hayley just in case she decided to try and take another bite out of her. "Let's talk first. I came to talk custody."

"Klaus needs a mediator, now?" Hayley cocked an eyebrow.

"I volunteered for your sake," she slipped her hands into her pockets. "I'm sure you know what his temper is like, and you definitely provoked it. The Originals might fight like cats and dogs, but at the end of the day they're family and you drove a wedge between them. There have been several suggestions of what to do with you in the last few weeks."

"What's the verdict?" Hayley gritted her teeth.

"Well," she tilted her head. "Klaus wanted to tear you apart. Rebekah mentioned something about maiming. Kol thought removing a very vital organ was not uncalled for. And Freya was all for your current curse."

Hayley swallowed thickly. "What about Elijah?"

"He's gone back and forth," Elena shrugged, "between the curse and what I'm going to offer."

"What would that be?" Hayley pursed her lips.

"Before I tell you I just want to know one thing," she tilted her head. "Why'd you do it? They told me how you worked to save them all for five years so I'm just having trouble understanding."

"Yeah, well," Hayley looked away, focusing on the lock before meeting Elena's eyes. "Those five years passed quickly. That was when I thought it was possible to outrun the cloud hanging over them all, but it's no coincidence that the second they came back everything went to shit."

"It sounds like it was. I don't know how you could fault Klaus, or any of them, for what happened with the Hollow."

"Easy," she lifted her chin, "Klaus made Marcel what he is which led to Marcel's tenure over the Quarter. That led to Vincent searching for a way to stop Marcel which led to the Hollow. It was Klaus' sirelings that forced me to flee the city and leave behind something a witch could use to target Hope. It's a never ending cycle of violence with their family. I had to end it."

"But all you did was prolong it," Elena shook her head. "How do you think Hope would have reacted when she found out years from now that you were responsible?"

"Better than Klaus who wants to tear me apart," she rolled her eyes. "They hexed me."

"To be fair, Lexa hexed you because you were gonna kill me."

"And the cycle continues," Hayley threw up her hands.

"It can end tonight," Elena pulled a thick piece of folded parchment from her back pocket. "Klaus already agreed to these terms, and if you agree you can walk out of her tonight and see your daughter tomorrow; provided that's what Hope wants."

"What terms?" Hayley tilted her head, looking Elena over.

"For now, phone calls, and supervised visitation every third weekend, major holidays and a room where you can stay in the house during those times."

"I have to be supervised to see my own kid?" She scoffed.

"For now," Elena stressed. "Elijah and I – with the help of Caroline – talked him down from outright killing you, so I'd consider this an improvement. After a period of one year this can be renegotiated, and then you can talk about splitting custody when Hope's not at school. Eventually the hope is you'll have an even divide in custody where you can switch off every other week, or every week as long as she wants to go back and forth."

She held out the paper for Hayley to take.

"Lexa drew that up, well, Elijah drew it up and Lexa spelled it. You sign it in your blood and the contract will hold both you and Klaus to it."

"Will these third weekends coincide with the full moons," she glanced up from the parchment's tiny handwriting. She was fairly certain the elegant scrawl belonged to Elijah.

"Of course not," Elena pulled a vial from her other pocket. "Assuming you agree I'm authorized to give you this," she shook the green liquid, "it's the cure for your curse."

Hayley frowned. She could see in the way Elena was holding the vial that she wanted to hand it over there and then, but she didn't.

"Klaus made me sign one of those," she nodded to the parchment, "saying I wouldn't give you this until a full agreement was reached. You might want to read the fine print," she rocked back on her heels, "it says what will happen if you try to take Hope away again."

Hayley's eyes widened when she read the page in its entirety. "I thought we were ending the cycle of violence."

"Baby steps," Elena managed a small smile. "You gotta learn to learn to walk before you can run, and Klaus is just learning to walk. Can you?" She held out a knife and a quill. "You know Klaus," she followed Hayley's pointed look to the writing implements, "he's got a thing for aesthetic."

Elena held in her sigh when Hayley took the knife and pen, slicing into her palm and scrawling her name on the line at the bottom. She saw the veins in her arm darken as the spell traveled through her and reached out to open the door.

Hayley stepped out and extended her palm. She opened the vial and downed the contents before fixing Elena with a curious look.

"Why'd you really get involved with him?"

Elena blinked and looked up from where she was tucking the contract away. There was no animosity in Hayley's question though, and no reason to believe they were going to get in another fight.

"When I first met him in New York he didn't know who he was, or who I was or who Katherine and Tatia were. He needed help, and things just sort of went from there." She thought back on the craziness of the last few months. "For the first time since high school I knew when he looked at me, he was looking at me. I haven't felt that since I was dating Matt sophomore year. Elijah helped me so much in the past – even if sometimes it ended badly – and I wanted to help him."

"Is he in love with you?" Hayley crossed her arms.

"He's said so, and I believe him," Elena pressed her lips together, a little uncomfortable with the conversation. "I love him too. I think I have for a long time."

"If you're thinking of biting her in a jealous rage, don't," a soft voice called from the tunnel. "I still remember that curse."

* * *

Caroline smiled softly when she saw that Hope had nodded off against the counter with her cheek pillowed by her folded arms.

She finished loading the dishes in the dishwasher and walked around the island to lift the child. Her head turned into Caroline's chest, and she gave a small sound of dissent but didn't wake up.

"Time for bed, sweetie," she slipped out of the kitchen, vowing to shut off the alarm in Hope's bedroom.

She was passing through the foyer when she heard the front door open and close. She stiffened, prepared to spin and give the rule breaker her patented educator look.

Her eyes widened and her mouth popped open when she saw him.

His hair was a little unruly, as if he had been running his hands through it, and his cheeks were flushed, but there was a look on his face that she had never seen before; she thought it was one he might have worn a few times nearly a decade ago.

His full lips were parted slightly to allow the soft exhale, and his eyes held a light of absolute wonder. He took slow steps towards her as if expecting her and the child she held to vanish before his eyes.

"Got any murderous impulses?" Caroline whispered when he stood in front of her. She could feel his shoes through her slippers as he shook his head. "Any long dead witches trying to claw their way out of you?"

"No," he whispered.

"Okay then," she shifted. She saw the slight hesitation in his eyes.

"Am I dreaming Caroline?" He stared at Hope, every instinct told him to reach out and take her.

"If you are then I am," she smirked. "She fell asleep in the kitchen because she was worried the spell wouldn't work. I was just going to put her in bed. Do you want to take her upstairs?"

He slid his arms under Hope and brushed against Caroline's stomach, ignoring the slight tingle that raced up his arm; there would be time to address that later.

Once she was moved he followed Caroline up the stairs and down a hall before entering a bedroom. The floor was littered with half-finished drawings that he carefully stepped over so he could place Hope in her bed.

He lifted the blankets over her shoulders and smoothed back the auburn hair that had fallen over her face. He almost didn't notice Caroline reaching for the alarm clock, but he caught a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye.

"What are you doing?" He looked up from Hope; he thought it might have been for the first time since he walked through the door.

"Turning this off," she shrugged one shoulder. "I think I can excuse her from a half-day of classes before Christmas break."

"How early did she wake up?" He turned his gaze back to Hope.

"She was the first one in the dining hall," Caroline laughed, "and I mean the first one. The kitchen staff hadn't even woken up yet." She straightened up and nodded towards the door. "I've got this feeling you want to stay in here, so if you're hungry the human blood is in the mini fridge in my office; it's Damon's old study."

"Thank you Caroline."

"For telling you where the human blood is?" She cocked an eyebrow. "That was more so you didn't turn on one of the staff."

"Not that," he chuckled. "Thank you for watching over her, and for chasing me down to talk sense into me."

"Well," she shrugged, "it's not like one of your siblings could have done it."

"They know I wouldn't have listened to them," he smirked. "There are very few people who have ever managed to make me listen."

* * *

Elena stepped out of her muddy shoes and padded through the lake house to the living room with Lexa. She stopped at the living room and stared with wide eyes for a moment before recovering.

"Couldn't wait till morning?" Her eyes flickered from Kol and Rebekah to Elijah.

"We were anxious," Rebekah shrugged.

"Well don't be because Hayley signed the contract."

"And I stashed the Hollow," Lexa smiled tiredly. She was ready for a nice long nap, or a calming bubble bath; she wasn't sure which yet and figured she'd decide when she got upstairs. "There are so many spells around that cave that I think nobody is ever getting through."

* * *

Lexa flipped open her bag, keeping one eye on the filling bathtub. Her fingers sifted through the paper inside until she found what she was looking for and held it up.

A knock sounded on the open door making her jump.

"You scared me," she fixed him with a scolding look.

"Sorry, darling," Kol smiled, stepping into the warm bathroom, "it was not my intention."

"What was your intention?" She dropped her bag on the floor and hopped up to sit on the bathroom counter. The added height put her at eye level with him.

"I just wanted to check on you," he leaned against the counter, placing his hand down a few inches from her thigh. "The extraction spell always took a lot out of you, and tonight you not only did that, but you sealed it away in a cave."

"I'm alright," she smiled, rolling her neck back and around. "I'm a little tired, and a little tense, but a nice bubble bath and a good night's sleep and I'll be good as new." She rolled her ankle and winced.

Kol noticed. He gestured to her foot.

"I tripped in the caves," she cleared her throat. "I think I might have pulled something."

"Elena didn't help you?" His eyes narrowed.

"I just noticed it now," she shook her head, laughing softly.

He nodded, accepting the answer and motioned again to her foot. "May I?"

She scooted back on the counter and nodded. She caught her breath when he lifted her injured leg and rubbed the sore area, kneading the muscles with his thumbs. She watched the tendons shift in his arms and repressed her shiver when she thought of his hands gliding over the rest of her body.

"Is that better?" He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, biting his tongue to keep from mentioning the intoxicating new scent permeating the air.

"Much," she swallowed, licking her bottom lip, "thank you."

"Don't mention it," he smirked. "What is that you made a point of digging for?"

"Just another contract," she shrugged, and clarified. "The draft of a contract; I was gonna read it over while I took my bath." She cursed when she saw the height of the bubbles and surged forward, colliding with his shoulder.

He caught her around the waist to keep her from falling over and watched her twist her wrist, effectively shutting off the flow of water by telekinetically turning the knob.

"I don't think you needed to move to do that," he chuckled. He picked up the dropped paper and unfolded it. His eyes narrowed as he read. "This is for Davina?"

"I thought she might like her magic back," Lexa shrugged, "under the stipulation that she will lose it again if she ever acts against your family."

"Don't show this to Nik," he placed the paper on the counter and met her eyes, "he'll want you to make one for every witch in the world."

"I think my hand would cramp up," she joked.

"I could massage that for you," he tilted his head.

"I bet you could," she smiled, her eyes darted to his lips when they quirked up.

She lifted her gaze to his dark eyes. Heat curled down her spine. She heard herself swallow, and drew in a shaky breath.

A desire she hadn't let herself fully feel because of their situation with the Hollow, and his recent breakup, radiated between them.

Her eyes fluttered shut as he leaned closer, bending to brush his lips over hers. The touch was electrifying. Her heart practically stopped when his tongue traced the seam of her lips and slipped into her mouth.

He was about to pull away when she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Slim fingers threaded through his hair and his heart skittered. Heat pooled in his abdomen and his skin sizzled with the static charge of magic pouring out of her body.

His breath caught when they broke apart and it took him a moment to gather his bearings.

"I… uh…" he shook himself from his daze, eyes landing on the bubbles in the tub. "I'll just leave you to your bath." His hands lingered on her hips.

"Or…" she trailed off with a slight smile, teeth sinking into her swollen bottom lip.

He grinned and lifted her onto the counter. Cradling the side of her neck he met her halfway in a slow kiss, smiling against her lips when her legs wrapped around his waist.

* * *

"Elena."

She smiled as strong arms wrapped around her middle from behind. She leaned back against his chest and tilted her head.

"Elijah," she sighed. "How does it feel knowing everything's right with the world? At least until someone pisses off a witch, or enemies start massing at the gates."

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"It's a nice feeling: peaceful." He inhaled her shampoo and propped his chin on her shoulder. "Niklaus has issued an invitation for Christmas dinner to you and Lexa. Although I think she would have shown up anyway with Kol."

"I thought I heard a second heartbeat in her room," she sighed. "Does Klaus know I come with two boys – three if I'm counting you?"

"When did we get two boys?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"When I found out how close Rafael and Landon are and that Rafael doesn't have a family to go home to…" she spun in his arms. "We?"

"Of course 'we'," he kissed the tip of her nose. "Landon is a part of your life, and you're both a part of mine."

"It's not exactly something you signed up for," she tilted her head, smiling.

"And you didn't sign up for my siblings," he chuckled. "I happen to be wonderful with children."

"Okay," she gave him a quick kiss. "Tell Klaus to set the table for three more."

* * *

The sun woke him in the mid-morning in time to see her stir beneath the comforter. He shifted and pulled the mess of hair away from her puckered lips, smiling as her eyes fluttered open. She rolled onto her back and froze mid-stretch, her eyes growing wide when she saw him; her voice was small and broken and laced with sleep.

"Daddy?"

"I'm right here, sweetheart," he sighed. His arms wrapped around her when she launched her small body up. "I've missed you so much."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Addicted came in second for the update poll. For those of you reading that story... Damon has no idea he's compelled her yet because he thinks she's been drinking vervain.
> 
> Leave a review and tell me what you thought of this story that started as a oneshot and somehow turned into a novella.

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think?
> 
> This won't be an overly long fic, it was just something that popped into my head.


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